Food & Drink is one of the main topics I cover on The Creative Cottage blog because. I’ve published quite a few recipes on my blog, including one of my favorites, Pad Thai which can be made with your favorite protein such as chicken, delicious Wild Patagonian pink shrimp, or even tofu if you’re following a vegan or vegetarian diet.
I love cooking (and eating) delicious dishes I make from scratch. A few days ago I cooked up a large batch of shrimp in my favorite non-stick pan to add to a pasta dish I was making. I ended up not using all the shrimp that I had, so I needed a way to use up all the extra seafood.
Great Leftover Shrimp Recipe
I came up with this quick and easy recipe to use up the leftovers. This dish has a tiny bit of heat to it, so I originally called this recipe Quick and Easy Cajun shrimp but have since changed it to Quick and Easy Creole-style Shrimp. You can make this seafood dish as hot and spicy as you like!
After doing a bit of research on the History of Cajun Food, I decided to change the name of this seafood recipe to Creole-style Shrimp. According to the Louisiana Travel website, the main difference between the two is “Creole cuisine uses tomatoes and proper Cajun food does not.”
My bad, I’ve always clumped Cajun and Creole together, but they are actually two separate and distinct cultures. For more information on the History of Cajun Food, I recommend clicking on the link I included at the beginning of this paragraph that will take you to the Louisiana Travel website.
Using Leftover Shrimp
A less spicy version of the Cajun shrimp can be made by using a bit of Stonewall Kitchen Maine Seafood Rub or eliminating the red pepper flakes. Or, if you want it really Cajun and 5-alarm fire spicy, use cayenne pepper in place of the red pepper flakes. Serve this easy to prepare shrimp dish with a bit of leftover rice, pasta, or even on top of a baked potato.
This seafood recipe can be made with fresh, raw shrimp instead of leftover cooked shrimp – just adjust the cooking time accordingly. This recipe can also be used for other types of seafood such as scallops, lobster or your favorite variety of seafood.
Quick and Easy Cajun Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked shrimp chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper more or less to make it mild or spicy
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic minced
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons chopped chives
- 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes optional
Instructions
- Roughly chop the cooked shrimp and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the dried seasons: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika and red pepper flakes (or cayenne pepper).
- Toss the chopped shrimp with the dried spice mixture.
- Add the olive oil to a frying pan placed over medium heat.
- Stir in the minced fresh garlic, and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
- Stir in the spice coated shrimp and cook for a few minutes, until heated through. If using fresh, raw shrimp adjust your cooking time until the shrimp is cooked through.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for 1 or 2 more minutes, or until the sauce is heated through.
- Remove the pan from the stove, and place the Cajun Shrimp into a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle the shrimp with the chopped chives.
- Serve the spiced shrimp as-is, or on top of noodles, rice or a baked potato.
- For an extra punch of flavor, toss in a few cherry tomatoes that you’ve sliced in half – enjoy!
Notes
Discover many more yummy seafood recipes in this Fish and Seafood Healthy Cooking Solutions – eBook.
Let’s Keep in Touch
Do you have any tips or tricks you’d like to share? Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email: info@thecreativecottage.net and I just might feature your story in a future blog post.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Founder and Chief Blogger
The Creative Cottage
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