A Mardi Gras Dinner on a Budget

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone!! Last year, I spent Mardi Gras in New Orleans and fell head over heels in love with the city. I know this sounds corny but if there is ever a place where I feel like actual magic could happen, it’d be in New Orleans. If given the opportunity, I would drop everything & fly there to visit. After all, I’m still a D.C. girl! I loved the atmosphere & energy of the city, the beautiful French plantation architecture and, of course, the food. Being the spicy food lover that I am, New Orleans was like my mecca of cuisine.

If you are like me, your day today is pretty busy and you are going to be getting home late…and hungry. As noted in a previous post, I try my best to make my own meals during the week to cut down on costs. So this weekend, I perused recipe blogs to find a quick & simple Mardi-Gras inspired meal and found Shrimp Creole!! This recipe yields 2-4 servings so you can adjust the amounts to get the right amount for a single serving. Of course, you can always make the recipe as is and freeze the rest.

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tblsp. butter
¾ cup coarsely chopped onion
3 small celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1 green pepper, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups canned tomatoes with their liquid
3 sprigs fresh thyme, or ½ tsp dried
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. grated lemon rind
12 dashes Tabasco (or to taste)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tblsp. finely chopped parsley
Juice of ½ lemon

Preparation

Rinse the shrimp and set aside in a colander to drain.

Chop the veggies.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is wilted.

Add the celery, green pepper, and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring until vegetables are softened.

Add the tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, Tabasco, lemon rind, salt, and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes uncovered.

Add the shrimp,stir well and cover. Cook 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the chopped parsley, lemon juice, and, if desired, more Tabasco sauce to taste. Serve over rice.

Enjoy your simple & delicious dinner!

What are you giving up for Lent? I’m still trying to figure it out!!