In honor of my quarter Lebanese roots (I’m still 100% boricua), an Egyptian friend sent me a family recipe for shrimp. As soon as I read the recipe, I knew I had to EcoRico-ize it. It needed some Puerto Rican pizzazz. And that’s what I gave it. I bumped up the spices and added Gigi’s Adobo, my homemade seasoning blend. You’ll be able to buy it soon enough.
Wow! Suddenly I had tasty, tangy Middle Eastern Shrimp. As accompaniments, I made brown rice and sautéed green beans and carrots with cilantro and garlic. ¡Perfecto!
Some tips on shrimp. First and foremost, always buy domestic shrimp. Why? According to a joint study by Seafood Watch and FishWise, imported shrimp are washed and frozen in Sodium Tripolyphosphate or STPP, a neurotoxin. STPP is a colorless salt used primarily in laundry detergents.
Secondly, shrimp are good for you. They’re loaded with protein, selenium for fighting cancer, phosphorous for healthy bones and teeth, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, magnesium, copper and Niacin.
Last but not least, this recipe is quick, easy and yummy. Your family will love it, and you’ll feel good feeding it to them. ¡Buen provecho!
By Giselle Achecar
Middle Eastern Shrimp
Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves chopped garlic
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
2-4 tsps. cumin
2 tsps. paprika
Gigi’s Adobo
2 organic lemons
Option: cayenne pepper
One bag of uncooked, frozen Domestic Shrimp farmed or wild
Wash the shrimp well.
In a bowl, marinate the shrimp overnight in olive oil, Gigi’s Adobo, cumin and the juice of one organic lemon. As an option, add oregano. If you don’t have adobo in your cupboard (WHAT?!), sprinkle sea salt, garlic and oregano all over the shrimp. Turmeric is also fab.
Eco-fact: Sea salt is naturally anti-bacterial! Mother Earth is so SMART! What a woman.
If you prefer, you can marinate a couple hours ahead instead of the day before. Sometimes, you just gotta make it on the fly.
EcoRico Tip: heat your pan first so you don’t burn the olive oil!
In a sauté pan, sauté garlic in olive oil at medium heat until just before it browns.
Add the chopped cilantro and Italian parsley. Let these cook.
Pour the shrimp marinade in the pan. Do not add the shrimp yet!
Add the cumin and paprika. (If you prefer add these spices after the shrimp.)
Cook down the sauce. This will take about 10 minutes.
Add the shrimp.
If you haven’t yet, add the cumin and paprika.
Let the dish cook a minute. Taste the sauce. Adjust as needed. I like plenty of cumin for more exotic flare. You can squeeze a bit of lemon if you like more tang.
Option: add cayenne pepper.
The shrimp are done when they start to turn pink. Remember they will keep cooking in the hot pan after you turn off the heat. You’ll see the color change completely. Serve and enjoy.
Giselle Achecar is the vibrant creator of EcoRico, an eco-lifestyle brand, which includes the online sensation EcoRico cooking show, EcoSexy tips and the ground-breaking personal success program “Marry Your Passion with Your Purpose”. This Latina Chef makes green living fun, sexy and accessible. Connect with Giselle at www.eco-rico.com, www.facebook.com/ecoricotv and on Twitter @EcoRicoTV.