One of my favorite weeknight dishes is what I lovingly refer to as “gussied up beans.” A glug of olive oil, sautéed garlic, onions, and fresh herbs, topped with shaved parmesan or pecorino and served atop a crusty piece of toast is the perfect quick and easy supper when you’ve run out of the produce, patience, or time (or all of the above) to make a more involved meal. It’s also endlessly adaptable to whatever you have on hand—here, I used some shrimp to give the dish a more filling protein boost, along with some cherry tomatoes that had lingered a little too long on my counter. You can certainly eat this plain or on toast as mentioned above, but it also works well with quinoa, pasta, or any other grain you have in your pantry.
Spicy Tomato Shrimp Skillet
Serves 4
- 1 T. Butter
- ½ Onion, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 T. Tomato Paste
- 2 pints Cherry Tomatoes, halved (or a few chopped larger tomatoes, if you’ve got a good garden supply)
- 1 heaping T. Sambal Oelek (or hot sauce of your choice; you can often find sambal oelek, an Indonesian chile paste, in the condiment or international aisle of the grocery store)
- 1 can White Beans, drained and rinsed (I like butter beans, but any white bean will do)
- ½ bag frozen Shrimp, thawed, deveined, and tails removed (approx. 25 shrimp)
- 1 handful fresh Basil, torn (if using dried, add 1 T. with onions and garlic)
- Quinoa, crusty bread, or pasta for serving
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and sauté onions and garlic til soft with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in tomato paste, tomatoes, and sambal oelek; cook til tomatoes are juicy and blistered. Add beans and cook til heated through, then stir in shrimp. Cook until shrimp is just pink, approx. 3 minutes. Top with torn basil leaves, if using, and serve with your grain-y vehicle of choice.
Book Club!
I’m finally making my way through Crazy Rich Asians, which a friend loaned me a shamefully long time ago…what can I say, if it takes a serious case of FOMO to get me to read a book, so be it. At least I’m getting there, right? It’s a lot of fun and definitely a “beach read,” sad as I am to be reading it VERY far from a beach. Feeling very motivated to get through it, both because I’ve got a big stack of “to reads,” and because I want to see the movie before it disappears from theaters! What are you reading this week?
Law and Lentils 