Here’s a weird way to start a blog about gratitude: Is it just me, or is one of the worst things about being an adult trying to figure out what to eat for dinner every night? I mean, not only do you have to think of something, but it should be healthy and, ideally, it should consist of things you already have in your house. Otherwise, you have to run to the store for something. UGH! And … to top it off … if you don’t plan far enough ahead, you’re left with not enough time for that meat to thaw. Am I right?
For all those reasons, I am very grateful for shrimp. Yeah … the little seafood bites of deliciousness. They are the perfect last-minute (or anytime) dinner solution. Allow me to explain:
First, shrimp are easy to buy in small quantities. Even when you buy the big bag of them, you can simply pull out however many you need for that particular meal. Our meat counter always seems to have the large shrimp on sale, so I have the guy wrap me up several half-pound packages. That size is great for dinner for me and Greg. Grab two or three and you have the makings of a meal for friends, too.
Second, shrimp thaws FAST! I have taken shrimp out of the fridge, thrown it into a bowl of tap water (not hot, not cold) and it’s ready to peel and cook in about five minutes. No advance planning required.
Third, shrimp is CRAZY versatile. You can toss it with a little Old Bay (or your favorite flavors) and steam it. You can throw it into a pan with a little butter, garlic and wine. You can stab several onto a skewer and throw ‘em on the grill. As a bonus, shrimp cook up lightning-fast. You can cook a pound of shrimp in less than five minutes.
Fourth, once you have your shrimp cooked, it goes with everything. Throw it over a pile of pasta with that butter-wine sauce and voila! Dinner! Throw it into a bowl with rice and veggies – again – voila! Dinner. Heat up some frozen fries, toss your shrimp into a bowl you’ve got a finger food meal to eat while you binge watch your favorite show.
Yep … shrimp! Just the idea of not having to think about dinner tonight brings me joy. I am ever-so grateful for those little crustaceans.
There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. I bet you can get shrimp almost anywhere.
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