Shrimp and Friends.

I could hardly resist posting this delish recipe. Since lately it seems everyone around me are posting about these fabulous mouthwatering recipes that are perfect for these nice cool Fall days. And since I live in the Heartland of Seafood, why not post a perfect recipe that marries seafood and harvest vegetables. I had this very dish a few nights ago for dinner. Now I mind you that you have the option to tweak the ingredients to your wish of how much you want. This recipe came to me - nameless - so I'm naming it:

Shrimp and Zucchini Mix

• 2 medium zucchinis
• 1 lb plump tomato (baby romas are perfect)*
• 2 medium onions (purples are perfect also)
• 4 tbs butter ( I substituted for a healthy olive oil)
• cayenne pepper
• salt
• 1 1/2 lb. of shrimp (I used baby shrimp, next time it will be Jumbos)
• 1/2 cup of fresh basil*
  

* Helpful notes/suggestions will be at the end of the recipe.

Chop all of the vegetables into 1/2" cubes. Preheat the Oven to 500 degrees. Butter or Oil up a casserole dish and toss in all your vegetables. Broil in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down and are nice and bubbly! Take out and stir, add the shrimp and basil and broil again for another 5 minutes. Can serve with rice or pasta, or have it as is. Would also be great with a side of toasted garlic French Bread. And Ta-Da! you are ready to Eat!

**Notes - I didn't have roma tomatoes, or tomatoes period. Nor the basil. But I did have a large can of Rotel Tomato and Cilantro. I substituted that instead of the basil. It was much better and complimented the shrimp well. Had a nice little zing to it. I plan on doing the same substitution the next time I make this. It cuts down on chopping time - Rotels are already chopped and makes the meal more hearty. I also didn't use that much of the butter /oil. I cut back to 2 Tbs. instead. 4 Tbs. is just a lot in my book! I also added a bit of Lemon Pepper to give it more flair. Lemon Pepper is an excellent season companion for Shrimp.

Hope you all will try this recipe. I loved it and it is also so healthy for you, but in a tasty unrealized way. This will be a permanent fixture on our Floridian menu all year long! Happy Dining!