shrimp is the fruit of the sea.

‘You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich.’

i’m personally a fan of coconut shrimp. and jambalaya with shrimp.

any forrest gump fans in the house?
when i was in san fran, the day we went to fisherman’s wharf our hanger was in full force and we decided to go to bubba gumps for lunch.

i love shrimp. always have. but, the majority of the shrimp dishes at bubba gumps come breaded and fried. that is a no-go for this gluten-free | dairy-free girl. so i went with a salad that had pears and raspberries. and i had to add the shrimp for a couple bucks. you’d think at a place that specialized in shrimp, a shrimp salad would be on the menu, right? wrong. the salad was nothing special in the end.

but, the trip left me wanting some shrimp real bad. so, on my trader joe’s trip, post-calfornia, i picked up a bag of frozen wild caught shrimp. the other night, i was in the mood for it and after cooking my spaghetti squash the night before and finding a can of fire roasted tomatoes in my pantry, i knew i had to make this dish.

i wanted to call it a take on shrimp scampi, but it doesn’t have any lemon or butter. then i thought maybe a margarita pasta, but that it doesn’t have any basil, just tomatoes. so, it’s just a spaghetti squash shrimp pasta.

it has just a few simple ingredients, so it is a perfect light ‘pasta’ dish for summer. the swiss chard is not too heavy and slightly sweet, so it pairs well with the sweetness of the squash and tomatoes. i love the spicy bite from the arugula.

side note and burpees for breakfast fun fact: this is the first time i even purchased and cooked with arugula. i usually get spinach every week, and switch between chard and kale (dino) for my weekly greens. i decided i would try a new green each week, and this week was arugula. great choice so far. i’ll be buying it more often.

spaghetti squash shrimp pasta

servings: 2

ingredients:

1/2 spaghetti squash, about 1 – 1 1/2 cup or so, depending on the size
1- 14.5oz can fire roasted tomatoes (i used muir glen)
1/2 -1 cup broccoli (i used frozen from TJ’s)
1 big handful of arugula
1 large or 2 small swiss chard leaves, julienned
1-2 cups cooked shrimp (depending on how much shrimp you like!)
1/4 small onion
salt + pepper to taste
garlic powder/ fresh minced garlic
red pepper flakes (add more or less to your liking)
nutritional yeast (optional)
coconut oil or olive oil

** i made this dish for myself (yes, i ate that whole bowl-plate. so, when adapting it for 2, i guessed at the measurements. feel free to add more or less tomatoes/squash, depending on how many people are eating this. it’s super simple and pretty hard to mess up. as long as all the ingredients are included, you can increase or decrease as needed.

directions:

1. if using frozen shrimp, run under cold water or place  in bowl of cool water for a few minutes to thaw. then heat skillet over medium heat and add oil of choice.
2. while skillet is heating, add frozen broccoli (i don’t thaw in the micro first, but add it as soon as i heat my skillet, so it has enough time to thaw). slice onion very thin and add to the pan with broccoli. cook a few minutes until onions start to soften and begin to brown.
3. roll chard leaves and slice thin. add chard ribbons and arugula to the pan with the broccoli and onions. add spaghetti squash. if your pan is a little dry, feel free to add a splash of chicken broth or water. stir together and add seasoning. i never measure seasonings, but sprinkle them on, adding more if needed. stir everything together and let cook a minute or two, until greens wilt.
4. add tomatoes to pan and stir until warmed through, maybe 3 or 4 minutes.
5. when almost ready to serve, add shrimp and toss pasta. turn off skillet and let shrimp warm through. if using uncooked shrimp, add to pan when adding tomatoes and cook just until the tails curl and shrimp starts to turn pink.
6. top with nutritional yeast or maybe some parmesan cheese for you dairy lovers. maybe even some goat cheese, which my tummy likes!

…

when i took my first bite, i thought to myself ‘this is literally the best savory dish i have ever made.’ bold statement, i know. it was so so so good. and is most definitely at the top of my favorite meals list.

be sure to give it a try and let me know what you think!

enjoy.

– jena.

p.s. what is your favorite way to eat shrimp?

want more burpees for breakfast?
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