Garlic Shrimp (3 different ways) for an appetiser or for a light meal

Serves 4

Well, I love shrimp and I love garlic so you know what I think of these simple, delicious and lovely to look at dishes.  If you like the two ingredients I just mentioned,  don’t wait to create these easy ecstasies; they can suffice as hors d’oeuvres or as a luncheon or supper dish.  Easy and good–I aim to please.

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 C. Olive Oil or more (Make sure that the olive oil covers the pan bottom. DON’T SKIMP!)
2. 4 large garlic cloves, finely minced
3. 1 Tsp. red pepper flakes
4. 1 to 1 ½ Lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and unfrozen (I do not buy the ready to cook type of shrimp because for my taste, the uncooked shrimp is so superior and it’s a breeze to handle).
5. 2 Tblsp. lemon juice
6. 2 Tblsp. dry sherry (I used white vermouth because I didn’t have dry sherry.  White wine would be OK as well.  I hear that even white vinegar or rice wine will do but I haven’t tried that for this recipe).
7. 1 Tsp. paprika
8. Chopped Italian parsley for garnish and lemon wedges as well
9. Crusty sliced French bread or white rice to go with this dish

Directions:

1. In a sauté pan or a large deep skillet, over medium heat, heat the olive oil.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until the garlic turns golden (about one minute).
2. Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry and paprika.  Stir well, then sauté, stirring briskly, until the shrimp turn pink and curl slightly (about 3-4 minutes).
3. Season to taste with S&P and sprinkle with parsley.
4. Serve hot over white rice or even Spanish styled rice or sided with sliced crusty French bread.  Left-over’s? Place in frig. and reheat slightly in the micro the next day.  They’ll still be good.

Variation to the above recipe:

1. Chop roughly the peel of one orange and add it when you sauté the garlic and red pepper.
2. Substitute the lemon juice with the juice of your one orange.
3. 1 Tsp. of ground cumin can be added to the paprika if you wish or you can delete both of these spices totally.
4. Substitute chopped cilantro for the Italian Parsley.
5. Serve this with warm corn tortillas or over Mexican rice or with sliced crusty French bread.

Very Lastly:

If you wish you can easily make a broiled shrimp scampi from both of the above recipes:

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler
2. Make sure your pan that you are using stove top will be broiler proof and will fit on the oven rack correctly as near to the broiler as possible. Turn the fan on.
3. Where the directions say to add the shrimp etc., do so but very quickly so as be able to stir everything to blend well—- once again quickly.
4. Immediately place the pan under the broiler
5. Cook, shaking the pan once or twice and stirring if necessary, but generally leaving the shrimp undisturbed until they are pink all over and the mixture is bubbly.  This may take from 5 to 10 minutes depending on the heat of your broiler.
6. Garnish and Serve IMMEDIATELY.