What’s Cookin’? Shrimp Creole Made Simple

For the What's Cookin' segment this morning, sponsored by Ritzy's of Owensboro, we went down to 'Nawlins! Our friend Sharaya from the Daviess County-UK Cooperative Extension Office brought major Cajun vibes with another delicious recipe from their monthly calendar. Once again, it checks all of the boxes for easy, fast, inexpensive, and tasty, of course!

You could even get the kiddos involved in cutting the veggies for this one if they are old enough to help. It's also great because you can adjust it to your liking by substituting certain ingredients. Or tailoring the spice level to your tolerance for heat. To add your favorite hot sauce or not? The answer is totally up to you!

Shrimp Creole Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry brown rice
•  3 tablespoons unsalted butter
•  1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
•  2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon no-salt-added Creole seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
•  2 bay leaves
• 1 pound uncooked, peeled and deveined large shrimp, tails removed
• Hot sauce for serving (optional)

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Shrimp Creole Instructions:

1. Wash hands with warm water and soap, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds.
2. Prepare brown rice according to package directions. Prepare the next part of the recipe while the rice cooks.
3. Wash fresh produce under cool running water, scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Cut to prepare for the recipe.
4. In a large deep skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
5.  Sprinkle the flour, Creole seasoning, and salt over the vegetables. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often.
6. Add the canned diced tomatoes and bay leaves. The mixture should be thick, but not dry. Add water, a little at a time if necessary, to moisten.
7. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove bay leaves. Add shrimp and cover the pan. Continue to cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and opaque.
9. Wash your hands again after handling the raw shrimp.
10. Serve shrimp and vegetable mixture over hot cooked rice. Add hot sauce if desired.
11.  Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes:

• Creole seasoning has mild heat. If you are sensitive to heat, add only a little at a time, or make your own without cayenne pepper.
• If you cannot find no-salt-added Creole seasoning, try this mixture instead: 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on how spicy you like it).
• You can make the sauce ahead of time, but do not add the shrimp until you are ready to reheat it for serving.
• You can add some variety to be able to use this recipe in rotation. Next time you make it, try fish or chicken as a substitute for shrimp. Substitute mashed potatoes or cooked pasta for the brown rice.

This recipe costs around $12.77 and makes 6 servings, with the serving size being: 1 cup of shrimp and sauce with 1 cup of rice. That's a generous portion, too, which is nice. Breaking it down to cost per serving, you can fill a hungry belly and make some taste buds happy for only $2.13 a person.

Source: Brooke Jenkins, Extension Specialist, UK Cooperative Extension Office
Nutrition facts per serving:
390 calories; 8g total
fat; 4g saturated fat;
0g trans fat; 110mg
cholesterol; 650mg
sodium; 62g total
carbohydrate; 7g dietary
fiber; 5g total sugars;
0g added sugars; 17g
protein; 0% Daily Value
of vitamin D; 8% Daily
Value of calcium; 10%
Daily Value of iron; 15%
Daily Value of potassium