About a month ago, Jeff and I took his parents out to dinner. They came to live with us back in August and we try to take them out to dinner once a month. We decided to venture over to the Chateau Restaurant in Norton since the consensus was Italian food.
I ended up ordering a special that had shrimp, tomatoes, red onions and feta cheese. It was delicious. As I continued to eat, my head was spinning on how I could re-create this dish. After a few attempts at the dish, I think I have come up with something similar with a little twist.
As I tried to re-create this dish, it kept falling a bit flat until I added some BAM!...Emeril style! I have made Emeril's Creole Seasoning and keep a container of it in my cabinet for when I make Emeril's Chicken Marsala. I used a few tablespoons of the seasoning and it pulled the dish together.
The shrimp was juicy and the flavors of garlic, red onion and diced tomatoes really complimented the shrimp. We served it over a fusilli pasta and it was perfect. I loved the fact that it was light and nutritious with the fresh spinach and had a little heat from the Creole seasoning.
If you are looking for a quick and easy dish that is light but could still be considered a nice comfort food on a cold night, try this. You will be pleasingly delighted!
Emeril's Creole Essence (Seasoning)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Mix and place into an airtight container. This lasts for 6+ months.
Ingredients:
1 pound of large shrimp, fresh or frozen, peeled and de-veined
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2 inches strips
1/2 cup of white wine
1 (28 ounce) can of diced tomatoes with the juice
1 tablespoon of creole seasoning
4 cups of fresh spinach or 1 package of frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)
1 cup of feta cheese, crumbled
1 pound of fusilli pasta
Preparation:
1. Begin making the pasta according to instructions. The meal should be completed in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.
2. Place a saute pan on the stove and set to medium heat. Once the pan in hot, add two tablespoons of olive oil and then the onions and garlic. Saute for 6-8 minutes or until the red onions become slightly soft and translucent.
3. Add the white wine and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.
4. Add the tomatoes and one tablespoon of creole seasoning. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and reduce to a simmer over low heat.
5. Using a medium-sized frying pan, set the heat to medium high. Once the pan is hot, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Pat the shrimp dry and sprinkle both sides of the shrimp with a pinch of the creole seasoning. Working in two batches, saute the shrimp until slightly done (no longer translucent), 2 minutes on each side. As the shrimp is cooked, add to the tomato mixture. Use the other tablespoon of olive oil for the second batch.
6. Add the spinach to the tomato mixture. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Serve the shrimp over the pasta and sprinkle with feta cheese. This meal feed 4 hungry people.