Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta

One of my favorite suppers in a long time, shrimp cooked in a nest of tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese. A summer version uses fresh tomatoes, a winter version uses canned tomatoes. Both will have you looking for good bread to sop up the juices.

One of my favorite suppers in a long time, shrimp cooked in a nest of fresh or canned tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese. Another Quick Supper Recipe from Kitchen Parade, Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach and Feta.

This shrimp recipe is so quick and easy
that I'm adding it to a special collection of easy summer recipes
published throughout the summer of 2009.
With a free e-mail subscription, you'll never miss a one!

What’s the definition of a perfect recipe? Surely it’s entirely personal and on any given night, might well change? One night cost and convenience might collide. Another night, slow communal cooking might fit the mood and the moment.

Here’s a new definition: a perfect recipe cries out to be cooked, NOW, and – get this – AS IS. No changes. No substitutes. No adaptations.

A perfectly delicious recipe for baked shrimp, tomatoes and feta has been making the rounds. My eyes lit with Simply Recipes’ version, I started to drool with another at The Perfect Pantry, moved to the kitchen after Sweetnicks’. The recipe – credited to The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger – is so perfect, not one of these good cooks made modifications.

The original recipe is ideal for winter because it uses canned tomatoes. A brief stint in the oven warms the kitchen. It’s excellent – perfect for winter or chilly spring days.

But for summer, I wanted to pair fresh ingredients with the shrimp (doesn't shrimp somehow ‘shout’ summer anyway?) and leave the oven off.

So I substituted fresh tomatoes for canned tomatoes and tucked some fresh spinach into the skillet too, creating a one-skillet meal. Plus I cooked it right on the stove, no oven required.

Winter or summer, this shrimp recipe is one that just might light your eyes too. And that would be perfect, just perfect.

ALANNA's TIPS Baby spinach is too tender for cooking, it gets stringy within seconds, but I’ve had luck with bags labeled ‘spinach’ not ‘baby spinach’. But if no bagged 'spinach' is to be found, pick the sturdier leafy spinach, usually found in an open bin in the produce department. It will need careful cleaning and trimming.

UPDATE Now there's a vegetarian version of this great supper, made with chickpeas. See Chickpeas with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta.

QUICK SUPPER RECIPE:
SHRIMP with TOMATOES, SPINACH & FETA

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1-1/2 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes or 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes (a mix of fresh and canned works too)

1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (basil, dill, tarragon or oregano, say)
4 ounces feta, broken into bits
Salt & pepper to taste
4 ounces fresh spinach, washed well, heavy stems stripped off and discarded, roughly chopped (see TIPS)
1 pound shrimp, thawed if frozen, peeled and deveined

In a large oven-safe skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium high until shimmery. Add the onion and cook til golden. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the tomatoes, simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, just until liquid begins to cook off. (If you like, cook ahead this far. Bring back to temperature before continuing.)

Stir in the parsley, herbs, feta, seasoning and about half the spinach. Tuck the shrimp into the mixture, distributing evenly. Top with the remaining spinach.

Cover and let cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the shrimp are cooked clear through. (Alternatively, bake in a 425F oven for 10 – 12 minutes.)

The tomato-y, shrimp-y, cheese-y liquid that collects in the bottom of the skillet is just delicious. Make sure you’ve got something to sop it up with – rice, say or crusty bread – or a spoon nearby.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 260Cal; 11g Tot Fat; 5g Sat Fat; 197mg Cholesterol; 512mg Sodium; 10g Carb; 2g Fiber; 5g Sugar; 29g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 6 & PointsPlus 6

This recipe has been 'Alanna-sized' with increases in nutrient- and fiber-rich vegetables; simplification of technique.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg
and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating
and occasional indulgences.

In 2009, Kitchen Parade celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special collection of my mother's recipes.

Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher.

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