City Chick Cooks

yummers > yumm-o 🙂

i actually made this a week ago, but i haven’t had a free minute to post it! sorry about the delay.

anyways, i was inspired by the cajun shrimp appetizer at bubba gump. its delicious spicy garlicky shrimp in a buttery cajun broth served with crusty bread for dipping. i always order this as my entree because its sooo yummy!

so i tried to replicate it along with some lemon whole wheat couscous and haricot verts to balance out the spice. it wasn’t bubba gump’s shramp, but it was really good!

go ahead and make the couscous to get that out of the way. its sooo fast and easy! i melted 2 tablespoons butter in a nonstick saucepan and infused it with 1 clove minced garlic. totally optional. wait for the garlic to get nice and aromatic, then add 1.5 cups of chicken broth, you can also use vegetable broth, and zest of one lemon. bring to a boil.

yeah, i dont know how that butter is still there. i cant remember what i did!

once its at a boil, stir in 1.5 cups of couscous (regular or whole wheat doesn’t matter both taste good) and some salt and pepper. take it off the heat, cover tightly and let it sit for 5 minutes while you get started with the shrimp.

the start to anything delicious

this is all to taste. mince like 5 cloves of garlic and put it in with about3 tablespoons of butter. let it all get nice and soft.

its a lot of garlic

pour in some chicken broth, enough to provide a nice pool for the shrimp to swim in. season this with a good amount of cajun seasoning – about 2 tablespoons or until you have a nice reddish color. let this reduce a bit.

wasnt as buttery as bubba gumps... but it sure was healthier!

while this is simmering, finish off your cous cous by fluffing it and stirring in some fresh chopped basil. taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

perfect side dish!

and go ahead and make your haricot verts. they only take like 5 minutes and a little bit of shaking the pan. you can buy them pre-cleaned and trimmed.

just heat some olive oil, add some garlic, then add the haricot verts. shake every so often, but don’t let them lose their bright green color. also add a bit of lemon zest.

i ❤ haricot verts

then, drop in 1 lb of peeled and deveined shrimp into the simmering broth. i actually think next time i’ll sear them a bit before i poach them, but it’s up to you.

these were gorgeous and HUGE. thanks om 🙂

my friend picked up some HUGE shrimp from the fish market. we (well, he) had to shell, clean, peel and devein them, but you can buy them prepeeled and deveined and ready to go.

drop them in the broth.

swimmin

wait about 2-3 minutes them flip them. they will be done when opaque, doesn’t take long. don’t overcook though! nobody likes rubbery shrimp!

once they’re all done, go ahead and plate. be was sure to ladle some of the yummy broth on top of everything so that the couscous can soak it up. i also sprinkled a bit more cajun seasoning on top.

the lemon basil couscous and spicy cajun shrimp were actually a really good combo and complemented each other well. haricot verts to get your veggies/greens and for a bit of crunch. AND it was all done so fast!

i actually like half eaten pics 🙂

lemon-basil whole wheat couscous

2 tablespoons butter

1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

1.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

zest of 1 lemon

1.5 cups whole wheat couscous

2 stems fresh basil, chopped or torn

1. melt the butter in a nonstick saucepan. add the garlic and slowly cook until aromatic. do not let brown.
2. add the broth and lemon zest. add a bit of salt and pepper. let come to a boil.
3. stir in the couscous and remove from the heat. cover tightly and let sit off the heat for about 5 minutes or until couscous has absorbed all the liquid.
4. stir in fresh basil, taste to check seasonings. add salt/pepper if needed.

cajun shrimp in garlicky broth

(i’m actually changing this from how i did it to how i will make it next time)

1 lb shrimp, peeled cleaned and deveined

3 tablespoons butter (this can be adjusted as you like)

1-2 tablepoons cajun seasoning (to taste), plus more for sprinkling

5 cloves garlic, minced

about 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (enough to poach the shrimp)

salt (if your seasoning doesnt already have it)

1. melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. make sure the shrimp are dry. sprinkle with cajun seasoning.
3. sear shrimp on both sides. do not cook all the way through (raise the temperature if you need to).
4. remove shrimp and set aside. turn heat down to medium and add garlic to the pan. cook slowly until aromatic. do not brown.
5. pour broth into the pan with the butter, shrimp-cooking-remnants and garlic.
6. add remaining cajun seasoning and salt if needed.
7. let come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
8. add the shrimp to the broth and let cook through all the way, checking a shrimp to test when done. do not let it overcook!

lemony-garlic haricot verts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

2 big handfuls haricot verts. sorry i dont know how to measure.

1 teaspoon lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste

1. saute the garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 30 seconds to a minute, until it smells good.
2. throw in the haricot verts and saute until cooked through but still crunchy.
3. in the last few minutes of cooking add the lemon zest and some salt and pepper.