Sun dried Tomatoes & Shrimp with Spinach

Recently, I made this dope recipe and decided to record the steps on Instagram & Facebook Stories. On a whim, cuz people like to see stuff as they unfold. 

Now honestly, the recipe was inspired by one that I saw the other day that just looked….like it didn’t have enough seasoning on it to be honest. Lately, there’s this trend with all these 30 second cooking videos where the seasonings only include things like salt and pepper. Or they rely heavily on getting their flavor from cheese. 

Y'all, it makes me feel like Oprah in that clip that resurfaced recently where she was eating some $1 million chicken….that didn’t have salt and pepper on it.

I often think about the time Oprah did a cooking segment with a woman whose chicken recipe won $1 million, and Oprah's jaw dropped when she tasted it and realized the lady didn't even add seasoning pic.twitter.com/rfs7PS1Jc3

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) December 9, 2018

Now I’m not saying get rid of the salt and pepper, but what I am saying is, let’s add some other stuff or mix it up with some garlic salt, or fresh herbs like basil. In this recipe, I even use a seasoning blend to save on some of the work of mixing it up yourself.

There's too many ingredients on God’s green earth for you to be foolin’ with the same 5.

So, I decided to change up the recipe, add my own twist on it and share the deliciousness online. Since the response was so great, I thought maybe I should type this up so others can eat good too. (Now if you’re already on meal prep services, don’t worry, this is already on the menu for next week.)

Serve this with pasta or over potatoes for a quick weeknight meal. There’s also a lighter variation if you’d like to go dairy free or don’t want to use whipping cream.

RECIPE STARTS HERE

Sun Dried Tomato & Shrimp with Spinach
Source: www.chefashleyshep.com
Prep 10 min
Cook 20 min
Total 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Serving: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (10 ounce) pack cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 lb shrimp peeled, deveined
• 4 tablespoons garlic
• 1⁄3 cup fresh basil about 10-12 large leaves
• 1⁄3 cup sun dried tomatoes sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms (optional)
• 3 tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1.5-2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning Blend
• 3⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream or 1/2 cup white wine if doing the lighter version
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock add more as needed to thin out sauce
• 1 pack fresh spinach
• garlic salt & pepper to taste
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions
1.Slice tomatoes in half, dice garlic, slice basil, defrost shrimp,
2.Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until butter melts some. Add in tomatoes, garlic and stir. Season with about 1 tsp garlic salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend.
3.Add in shrimp and cook until slightly done (until they are still a little see through.
4.Lighter option: Add broth/white wine, and all remaining ingredients here and bring to a low boil. Cook on low and add spinach. Serve over pasta.
5.Regular version: Remove shrimp & set aside. Add in cream and butter. Let butter melt some. Add all other remaining ingredients and stir. Bring to a low boil and add basil, spinach, & shrimp back in. Combine and serve once shrimp are fully cooked (no longer pink)
6.Squeeze lemon juice on top and serve over pasta. Add shredded parmesan and parsley to top (for pics, otherwise leave it off because it does nothing lol).
7.Tips: If you want more sauce, stretch out the cream by adding more broth 1/8 cup or 2 tablespoons at a time.
8.Add a pinch of red flakes to spice it up a bit.

Prep Notes
The day of: Prep all ingredients (cut, measure, etc).

​If you liked this recipe and want to know more ways to use seasonings other than (seasoning) salt and pepper, then be sure to join me Sunday, December 23rd over on Facebook Live for Season Til You’re Satisfied: 12 Must Have Seasonings You Need . 

Or if you can’t wait til then or know good and well you’re not gonna watch, get the Season Til You’re Satisfied Guide here and start living your best food life.
Tag @ChefAshleyShep on Facebook or Instagram and #SimplifyMealTime when you make it for a chance to get featured on my page.