Saturday Night Food Experiment:Shrimp Etouffee

(Ay-too-fay--I had to look it up.)

Something I read this week, I don't remember what, made me want to try this dish. I didn't follow a recipe; I just made it up as I went along. Thus, the amounts & times below are merely estimates.

6 Tbsp (3/4) stick butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
lotsa chopped garlic
1 1/2-2 cups vegetable broth (Whole Foods Organic)
14.5 oz can Glen Muir organic fire-roasted chopped tomatoes
2 tsp dried thyme leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried cayenne pepper
pinch coarsely ground black pepper
paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
1 Tbsp flour mixed w/ 1 Tbsp water or cold broth (I used water drained from my chopped veggies)
1 lb raw, deveined shrimp
cooked rice

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute veggies until starting to brown (about 10 minutes) or as desired. Add broth, tomatoes, and seasonings to taste. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, breaking up big chunks of tomato. (The longer you simmer, the fuller the taste.) Stir in flour/water mixture to thicken. Lower heat to medium-low. Add shrimp; cook just until pink and starting to curl. (Take care not to overcook shrimp--it'll be rubbery.) Serve over hot cooked rice.

Bottom line: Easy, fairly quick, and absolutely delicious. If you like red beans & rice, you should like this.

Cheers,
Barb