Recipe: Garlic Shrimp

This is a very simple appetizer dish that doesn't take long to make. The hardest part is peeling the shrimp if you don't use already-peeled frozen shrimp. This recipe is very easy to double or more for large parties. Also, feel free to play around with the quantities ... more or less garlic, more or less sauce. Maybe add a pinch of an herb or two that you like. Oregano? Basil? Thyme? I love how easy and flexible it is. This recipe is an adaptation of my mom's wine garlic shrimp. She uses white wine instead of the tomato sauce and chicken broth combo, which is also extremely delicious.

Garlic Shrimp with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 10-12 large shrimp, defrosted and peeled
• salt & pepper

Method

In a frying pan or wok, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until it just starts to brown, then add tomato sauce and chicken broth. Heat to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Add peeled shrimp and cook 3-5 minutes or until completely pink. Try not to overcook them. They should be completely opaque but still soft. Go ahead and test one, or two. Gotta make sure it tastes good. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Keep warm, or serve immediately if possible. Serve as an appetizer, or over rice or pasta -- the sauce goes wonderfully with either starch, if that's your thing.

Nota bene: I do like to peel the shrimp myself instead of using already-peeled frozen shrimp. That way I can keep as much of the fat in the head as I like. This extra fat makes this dish extra rich, which means you can share more of it around. :-)

Enjoy!

xo, Gladys