Spicy Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley

The name of this dish does not lie, this shrimp dish definitely has a kick. We had ours over a bed of white rice to soak up some of the spicy sauce and it was delicious. It can also be served over pasta, just add another tablespoon of olive oil and be sure to use the 2 tablespoons each of lemon juice and wine to create a thinner sauce. 

Since shrimp cook in under 5 minutes this is an extremely quick meal that is perfect for a busy night and you won't feel like you skimped on anything. And shrimp are something that are not too expensive in the frozen section so we usually have a bag on hand in the freezer meaning you don't even have to go to the grocery store to make this!

Spicy Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 to 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 Tbs. dry white wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Place olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and warm.
Add garlic, pepper flakes and paprika.
Saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
Increase heat to high, add the shrimp, lemon juice and dry white wine, stir well, and sauté until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque throughout, about 3-5 minutes.
Season with salt and black pepper, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Peppered Pork Loin

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend! We enjoyed our weekend and I was glad to be back cooking. As many people know, I am a fan of the Food Network, but now also their show The Next Food Network Star. The season finale was on last night, so it was only appropriate to make a dish featured by my favorite on the show, and the winner! While I didn't make the sweet potato biscuits or apple butter the peppered pork loin was packed full of flavor. The chili and black peppers definitely give this a kick, and the molasses provided a hint of sweetness. However, if you aren't a fan of spice dial down the amount of pepper. Instead of making the sweet potato biscuits, we had a baked sweet potato and got a lot of the sweetness from there. Hopefully her new show on the Food Network will have many more delicious recipes to try.

Peppered Pork Loin
Source: Damaris Phillips for Food Network
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons sorghum or molasses
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4-pound pork loin

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the sorghum, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper and oil. Trim the pork loin of any excess fat, and transfer to a shallow roasting pan (or my favorite, a cast-iron skillet). Rub the pork loin with sorghum and spice mixture, coating evenly. Roast at 350F until the internal temperature is 150 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.