Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta

Oh people, take a good look here, this is one of my favorite suppers in a long time, shrimp cooked in a nest of tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese. It's just gorgeous! It's my rendition of a Greek dish called Shrimp (Garides) Saganaki, a favorite (or so I read ...) at Greek tavernas. Here, a summer version of Shrimp Saganaki uses ripe, juicy summer tomatoes and a winter version, equally good, uses canned tomatoes. Both will have you looking for good bread to sop up the juices!

One-Pot Supper. Quick Supper. Fresh & Seasonal. Low Carb. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

This recipe is so quick and easy
that I'm adding it to a special collection of easy summer recipes
published every summer since 2009.
Watch for new "summer easy" recipes all summer long!
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COMPLIMENTS!

• "... my fiancé ... was SO impressed with me! :) It was sooo good. ~ Maggie

BEST RECIPES!

• Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta Made the List!
• Best Recipes of 2009

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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. The original recipe is credited to The Food You Crave, the wonderful cookbook by Ellie Krieger.

• My eyes lit with Simply Recipes’ version.
• I started to drool with another at The Perfect Pantry.
• I finally moved to the kitchen after Sweetnicks posted the same recipe.

The Perfect Recipe Is the Recipe That Fits YOU

The original recipe is so perfect, not one of these good cooks made modifications! Imagine that!

Me? I couldn't help myself. I made it fit ME.

First, I'm a seasonal cook.

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

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

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.

Second, like many cooks, I have a special appreciation for recipes that easily adapt not only to season but to proteins, cooking methods, add-ins, etc. So I switched from shrimp to chickpeas, from a meaty one-dish supper to a vegetarian one-dish supper. See? Chickpeas with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta!

So for me, the original recipe is indeed "perfect" because it so suits my kitchen sensibility. It crosses seasons. It crosses proteins. It crosses from stovetop to oven.

Is it perfect for you too? And yes, that means, take it and run with it. Make it yours. Make it perfect for YOU.

Resources

• Today's recipe originated with The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life (affiliate link) by Ellie Krieger. I love this 2008 cookbook! At least once, maybe twice, I've handed my own copy over to friend, then ordered a replacement for myself.
• UPDATE I see that Ellie Krieger has a new cookbook coming out in 2019, I love the concept and visualize more dinners like Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta. Just look at the title, Whole in One: Complete, Healthy Meals in a Single Pot, Sheet Pan, or Skillet!
• My Disclosure Promise

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Just updated! First published way back in 2009.

QUICK SUPPER RECIPE:
SHRIMP with TOMATOES, SPINACH & FETA

Hands-on time: 30 minutes (less with pre-peeled-deveined shrimp; pre-washed spinach)
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 (dill is especially good but also think basil, tarragon or oregano, say)
• 4 ounces (112g) feta, broken into bits
• 2 ounces (55g) fresh spinach, washed well, heavy stems stripped off and discarded, roughly chopped (see TIPS)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 pound (450g) peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed if frozen

In a large oven-safe skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium high until shimmery. Add the onion and cook until golden, not allowing to brown. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Stir in the tomatoes and let simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, just until the liquid begins to cook off. (If you like, cook ahead this far. Bring back to temperature before continuing.)

Stir in the parsley, herbs, feta, spinach, salt and pepper. Tuck the shrimp into the mixture, distributing evenly.

Cover and let cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the shrimp are cooked clear through. (Alternatively, bake in a 425F/220C 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.

ALANNA's TIPS Baby spinach is too tender for cooking, it gets stringy within seconds, but I have great luck with bags labeled "spinach" or "mature spinach" but 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, allow the time! My own original version of this recipe called for 4 ounces (112g) of fresh spinach, half stirred into the tomatoes, half layered on top of the whole casserole. Recently? That seems like too much spinach, I just use 2 ounces and stir it in. I had high hopes for substituting fresh mozzarella for feta. But fresh mozzarella just doesn't work like feta, there's no tang and it just kind of melts in and gets sticky.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving: 257 Calories; 11g Tot Fat; 5g Sat Fat; 197mg Cholesterol; 501mg Sodium; 9g Carb; 2g Fiber; 4g Sugar; 29g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 6 & PointsPlus 6 & SmartPoints 7 & Freestyle 4 & myWW green 6 & blue 4 & purple 4 This recipe has been "Alanna-sized" with increases in nutrient- and fiber-rich vegetables; simplification of technique.

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More Summery Shrimp Recipes

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~ more shrimp recipes ~

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ shrimp ~
~ tomatoes ~
~ feta cheese ~
~ spinach ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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