Spicy Lime Shrimp + Coconut Rice

Easy weeknight meals make the world go round in this house! As much as I plan and develop delicious make ahead or slow cooker dinner, life happens and on a pretty regular basis that means I’m figuring out dinner in the afternoon. The versatility of this dish is tremendous – adjust the seasoning, adjust the amount, adjust the heat. It is a light, delicious dinner in all it’s forms!

Ingredients

For Shrimp:

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 tbsp butter, olive oil or your preferred fat

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

zest  of two limes

3 scallions

handful of cilantro,+ juice finely chopped

pinch of salt

For Rice:

2 cups uncooked rice

1 can coconut milk

about 2 cups of water

1 tsp salt

Method

1. Add rice to a medium sized saucepan with a top.
2. In a 4 cup (or larger) measuring cup, combine coconut milk with enough water to make 4 cups. Add to rice in sauce pan with salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat before covering and reducing the heat to medium, cooking until rice is tender.
3. In a mixing bowl, season shrimp with garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, lime zest and juice. Mix thoroughly to disperse seasonings. Marinate for at least 10 minutes.
4. Heat butter over medium low heat until melted, then add shrimp – stirring gently until shrimp are nearly cooked through. Add thinly diced scallions and mix before turning off the heat.

Serve by topping rice with shrimp (don’t forget a little of the butter lime sauce they cooked in!) and top with a bit of chopped cilantro. A little fresh salsa on top is also a nice touch.

My lovely friend Malori commented on Facebook that this dish looked delicious but she’s allergic to shellfish. Good news! This recipe is so basic and versatile, it works on just about any protein. Chicken is a good choice – although I recommend increasing the seasoning a touch. Any white fish will work and a little bit more butter and lime juice would make for an excellent butter poaching sauce for fish. This is also a wonderful use for leftover steak – simply cube and toss lightly in the butter and lime to warm the steak.