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Frozen shrimp: it’s fast, it’s easy, and it’s delicious.  You can prepare shrimp for a snack, an hors d’oeuvre, an entrée, or a side.  It may already be a family favorite, but if it isn’t already in your meal rotation, we think you should give shrimp a try.  Not only is it easy to prepare, but shrimp is also a great source of protein for your family.

Frozen Shrimp 101:

• Unless you live in a region where you can get fresh shrimp, the best option is to buy frozen.  They will last up to a month in a home freezer.  In most regions of the country, the shrimp available from the seafood counter has been previously frozen — that is why it is best to buy it frozen, then defrost it yourself.
• Buying quick-frozen shrimp in a bag allows you to choose what amount to use — pull out a few for a snack or more for an entrée.
• The best way to defrost frozen shrimp is to put in in the refrigerator overnight for a slow thaw.  For speedier defrosting, you can run them under cold water in a colander.
• Our favorite size for flavor and value are considered “medium,” and result in 15-30 shrimp per pound.
• It’s easy to tell when shrimp are cooked — our kids think it’s a magic trick — since the shrimp change from grey to pink when cooked through.  Invite your children to the stove to watch the transformation.

Try this in your meal planning:

• Top a Caesar salad with spicy shrimp.
• Put out a plate of cold shrimp with cocktail sauce for finger food.
• Make shrimp spring rolls.
• Sautée shrimp and serve with rice, pasta, quinoa, or garlic bread.
• Grill shrimp on skewers (younger kids can help, with supervision).
• Stir-fry shrimp with almost any green vegetable.
• Add shrimp to seafood stew (bouillabaisse).
• Make a big old pile of shrimp with a shrimp boil.

Simple Cocktail Sauce:
You can customize the level of bite with the amount of horseradish, and your kids can help mix it together.

• 1 cup ketchup (look for ketchup without high-fructose corn syrup)
• 2-4 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Stir the ketchup and horseradish together.  Continue to add horseradish until desired taste is reached.  Serve with parsley and lemon, and serve with cold shrimp.

Enjoy!

I make a big pot of the classic, chicken soup.  Here’s my recipe for the stock.  I use noodles or a rice and quinoa blend for the starch.  I serve the soup with slices of cheddar cheese and apples.  Our “feel better” beverage is one that my husband grew up with, hot water with fresh lemon juice and honey.  I like to add a cinnamon stick to stir the honey.  An adult version is to add a splash of bourbon.  These steamy, hot liquids are comforting and easy on the system when one is feeling under the weather.

My go-to is also chicken soup.  I use Sharon’s stock recipe all the time for my chicken soups, and I try to keep some of the broth on hand in the freezer.  It is wonderful to have when anyone in our family is sick, even if we just drink the warmed broth by itself.  I also like to make a simple miso soup.  It is easy to prepare, and there is something about it that is really comforting (maybe it is the sodium content that makes it taste so good when you are sick).  I mix a mild miso, either the yellow or white, with chicken stock.  It isn’t the same as a traditional miso soup made with Dashi stock, but it still tastes good when you aren’t feeling well.