Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta

Oh people, take a good look here, this is one of my favorite suppers in a long time, shrimp cooked in a nest of tomatoes, spinach and feta cheese. It's just gorgeous! It's my rendition of a Greek dish called Shrimp (Garides) Saganaki, a favorite (or so I read ...) at Greek tavernas. Here, a summer version of Shrimp Saganaki uses ripe, juicy summer tomatoes and a winter version, equally good, uses canned tomatoes. Both will have you looking for good bread to sop up the juices!

One-Pot Supper. Quick Supper. Fresh & Seasonal. Low Carb. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free.
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta, another Quick Supper ♥ KitchenParade.com. One-Pot Dinner. Low Carb. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free.

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COMPLIMENTS!
  • "... my fiancé ... was SO impressed with me! :) It was sooo good. ~ Maggie
BEST RECIPES!

What’s the Definition of a Perfect Recipe?


Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta, another Quick Supper ♥ KitchenParade.com. One-Pot Dinner. Low Carb. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free.

Surely it’s entirely personal and on any given night, might well change? One night cost and convenience might collide. Another night, slow communal cooking might fit the mood and the moment.

Here’s a new definition: a perfect recipe cries out to be cooked, NOW, and – get this – AS IS. No changes. No substitutes. No adaptations.

A perfectly delicious recipe for baked shrimp, tomatoes and feta has been making the rounds. The original recipe is credited to The Food You Crave, the wonderful cookbook by Ellie Krieger.

The Perfect Recipe Is the Recipe That Fits YOU


Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta, another Quick Supper ♥ KitchenParade.com. One-Pot Dinner. Low Carb. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free.

The original recipe is so perfect, not one of these good cooks made modifications! Imagine that!

Me? I couldn't help myself. I made it fit ME.

First, I'm a seasonal cook.

You see, the original recipe is ideal for winter because it uses canned tomatoes. A brief stint in the oven warms the kitchen. It’s excellent – and perfect for winter or chilly spring days.

But for summer, I wanted to pair fresh ingredients with the shrimp and leave the oven off. And doesn't shrimp somehow "shout" summer anyway?

So I substituted fresh tomatoes for canned tomatoes and tucked some fresh spinach into the skillet too, creating a one-skillet meal. Plus I cooked it right on the stove, no oven required.

Winter or summer, this shrimp recipe is one that just might light your eyes too. And that would be perfect, just perfect.


Chickpeas with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta, another easy, healthy Quick Supper ♥ AVeggieVenture.com

Second, like many cooks, I have a special appreciation for recipes that easily adapt not only to season but to proteins, cooking methods, add-ins, etc. So I switched from shrimp to chickpeas, from a meaty one-dish supper to a vegetarian one-dish supper. See? Chickpeas with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta!

So for me, the original recipe is indeed "perfect" because it so suits my kitchen sensibility. It crosses seasons. It crosses proteins. It crosses from stovetop to oven.

Is it perfect for you too? And yes, that means, take it and run with it. Make it yours. Make it perfect for YOU.

Resources


The Food You Crave cookbook cover ♥ KitchenParade.com



Just updated! First published way back in 2009.

QUICK SUPPER RECIPE:
SHRIMP with TOMATOES, SPINACH & FETA

Hands-on time: 30 minutes (less with pre-peeled-deveined shrimp; pre-washed spinach)
Time to table: 45 minutes
Serves 4
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1-1/2 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes or 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes (a mix of fresh and canned works too)
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (dill is especially good but also think basil, tarragon or oregano, say)
  • 4 ounces (112g) feta, broken into bits
  • 2 ounces (55g) fresh spinach, washed well, heavy stems stripped off and discarded, roughly chopped (see TIPS)
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 pound (450g) peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed if frozen

In a large oven-safe skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium high until shimmery. Add the onion and cook until golden, not allowing to brown. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Stir in the tomatoes and let simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, just until the liquid begins to cook off. (If you like, cook ahead this far. Bring back to temperature before continuing.)

Stir in the parsley, herbs, feta, spinach, salt and pepper. Tuck the shrimp into the mixture, distributing evenly.

Cover and let cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the shrimp are cooked clear through. (Alternatively, bake in a 425F/220C oven for 10 – 12 minutes.)

The tomato-y, shrimp-y, cheese-y liquid that collects in the bottom of the skillet is just delicious. Make sure you’ve got something to sop it up with – rice, say or crusty bread – or a spoon nearby.

ALANNA's TIPS Baby spinach is too tender for cooking, it gets stringy within seconds, but I have great luck with bags labeled "spinach" or "mature spinach" but not "baby spinach". But if no bagged "spinach" is to be found, pick the sturdier leafy spinach, usually found in an open bin in the produce department. It will need careful cleaning and trimming, allow the time! My own original version of this recipe called for 4 ounces (112g) of fresh spinach, half stirred into the tomatoes, half layered on top of the whole casserole. Recently? That seems like too much spinach, I just use 2 ounces and stir it in. I had high hopes for substituting fresh mozzarella for feta. But fresh mozzarella just doesn't work like feta, there's no tang and it just kind of melts in and gets sticky.
NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving: 257 Calories; 11g Tot Fat; 5g Sat Fat; 197mg Cholesterol; 501mg Sodium; 9g Carb; 2g Fiber; 4g Sugar; 29g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 6 & PointsPlus 6 & SmartPoints 7 & Freestyle 4 & myWW green 6 & blue 4 & purple 4 This recipe has been "Alanna-sized" with increases in nutrient- and fiber-rich vegetables; simplification of technique.

More Summery Shrimp Recipes

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

Shrimp Salad Recipes Cold Shrimp with Creamy Dill Sauce & Capers Sweet-Corn Soup with Shrimp
~ more shrimp recipes ~

Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ shrimp ~
~ tomatoes ~
~ feta cheese ~
~ spinach ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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2009, 2012, 2019 (repub) & 2020

Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

Comments

  1. Alanna,
    That works!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8/11/2009

    Alanna, who says perfect can't be improved? The spinach is just beautiful and good for everybody too. Friday I'm calling this dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I made this for my fiance for birthday dinner... he was SO impressed with me! :) It was sooo good. Love your website and blog!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna