One Pot Shrimp and Spinach with Orzo

I love it when we find a weeknight recipe that everyone likes and is easy to make. This particular one fits the bill in all those ways. From prep to table, this delicious shrimp dish took about 30 minutes, and I can't say enough about how yummy it was--for me, Hubby, and our girls. We will be including this one in our weekly meal plan over and over again, I have no doubt!

This started as a recipe on Buzzfeed. When I looked over the ingredient amounts, I felt like they were definitely off--especially if I wanted to feed my entire family, so I adjusted accordingly. The method is exactly the same, but this will feed 4 people easily. 

One Pot Shrimp and Spinach with Orzo

*Adapted from Buzzfeed 

4 tablespoons water

2 sticks butter, cut into pieces

3 teaspoons lemon zest (from 2 small lemons)

2 sprigs thyme

1 1/2-2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, diced

2 cups orzo

4 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 cups spinach

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Over low heat, add water to a Dutch oven and slowly add the butter, a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly to make sure the water and butter combines and doesn't separate. Add the lemon zest and thyme springs and stir. Add the shrimp and poach for 8-10 minutes, until shrimp is fully cooked. Remove the shrimp and set aside. Discard thyme sprigs.

Add garlic, shallots, and orzo to the remaining liquid in the Dutch oven. Salt and pepper to taste and stir until all the liquid has been absorbed (this will only take a minute or two). Increase heat to medium-high and pour in the chicken stock. Cook, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick, until the orzo is al dente, about 9 minutes. Once the orzo is al dente, add the spinach and stir until just wilted. 

Remove from heat and serve the spinach and orzo topped with the shrimp and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Parmesan Crusted Cod and Sauteed Zucchini

Sometimes I get a little burned out on chicken. We don't eat much red meat in this house (thank goodness my husband is understanding!) so our options are chicken, fish, chicken, pork, and chicken. We eat a lot of chicken. So yesterday I wanted fish, but not our usual lemon pepper fish and I didn't want anything fried. So I came up with this baked fish recipe that took almost no prep work and was crispy and flavorful. This is one that I can make while Nick's at work instead of my standard baked potato or pasta. It's that good. And the sauteed zucchini, what can I say about that? Is there any way to make zucchini that doesn't taste good? I don't think so. The only thing this one needed was a little fresh chopped basil, which I will be picking up at the store today so I can try it again. Ah, I love zucchini!

Parmesan Crusted Cod (or any other white fish like tilapia or halibut)

3 white fish fillets like cod, halibut, or tilapia
1 1/2-2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
margarine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt about a tablespoon of margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and toast until brown, 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and pour in a mixing bowl. Add parmesan cheese and stir. Line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean-up) and place thawed or frozen fillets (I used frozen). Season with kosher salt and pepper and spread a little bit of margarine over each fillet. This will help the coating to stick and the fillet won't dry out.

Press breadcrumb mixture on fish to desired thickness. Leave 2-3 tablespoons of breadcrumb mixture for sauteed zucchini, if desired.

Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily.

Sauteed Zucchini

2 medium zucchinis
Salt and pepper
Margarine
Garlic powder
Chopped fresh basil
2-3 tablespoons of toasted panko and parmesan cheese mixture from above, optional

Slice off ends of zucchini and cut in uniform medallion slices, about 1/4 inch thick. Melt 1-2 tablespoons of margarine in the same skillet used to toast the panko. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper and a little bit of garlic powder, to taste.

Saute for 5-10 minutes over medium-high heat until seared as desired. Add panko mixture for texture.

Serve with parmesan crusted cod and enjoy!