So Many Dishes

We were in the mood for shrimp, but I told Ken that I wanted to try a new recipe. He suggested roasted shrimp with white beans and feta, a recipe he had in his list of interesting dishes from the annual Cooking Light compilations we own. I agreed, but I had reservations. I had made a shrimp and white bean dish once before that, while it had been a bomb, wasn’t something I wanted to repeat. The ingredients for this dish sounded awfully similar, so I held my breath.

I needn’t have worried. This dish is delicious. It’s relatively simple to make, and the beans would make a good side on their own with other proteins.

I only made one change to the recipe, and substituted cilantro for the mint that’s called for. Ken and I both have gastric reflux issues, and mint can make reflux worse. (I’ve also read that mint can help with reflux, but we’re not going to do that experiment). I think it would be delicious with either. The cooking time for the shrimp depends on the size of your shrimp. The recipe said four minutes for large shrimp. I prefer when they refer to shrimp size by how many per pound; I’ve seen 40 shrimp per pound listed as “large;” what does that make the 16-20 per pound shrimp I used? Extra large? Jumbo? It took about seven minutes to roast the shrimp.

As you read through the recipe, you’ll note that the last step is to make what is essentially a dressing, half of which gets mixed into the beans, with the remainder drizzled over the finished dish. I made this ahead of time, and it made putting this together much simpler. Otherwise, it would have been a scramble.

Roasted Shrimp with White Beans and Feta

• 2 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 1 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (or cilantro)
• 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a dish. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in beans, broth, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 3 minutes.

Arrange shrimp on a baking sheet and roast for 4 minutes, or until cooked.

Combine 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the lemon rind, vinegar, mustard, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour half of the mixture over the beans. Stir in mint or cilantro. Divide evenly among four plates; sprinkle with feta. Arrange shrimp alongside. Top with remaining oil mixture, and serve.

According to the recipe, this makes four servings, but I’d say it’s more like three servings. We bought three-quarters of a pound of shrimp for the two of us, but made the full amount of the rest of the dish. There was one shrimp and just a scoop of beans left. I’d made a simple Greek salad on the side, and sliced a loaf of challah we saw when we went to the market. Even with the bread and salad, and assuming I’d had a pound of shrimp, there’s no way I could have stretched this for four people. But I will definitely be making this again, as well as doing just the beans as a side. It definitely rates a yum.

Happy eating!