Citrus-Pepper Shrimp Scampi with Fresh Caprese Salad

Yummmmmm! Seriously. When I was cooking this scampi, I was worried. I am a big fan of flavors and sauce and this dish seemed so light and simple and basic. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I decided to avoid over-burdening the orzo and see how the dish tasted in the end. After all, it's always easier to add than to subtract! But wow, am I glad that I did not mess with the simplicity. This meal was delicious. The flavors, while appearing to be delicate, were actually far from subtle and melded perfectly with the taste of fresh shrimp and al dente orzo. Amazing.

To go with the pasta, I prepared a traditional caprese salad. As always, capreses depend on the ingredients. If you have freshly picked summer tomatoes and bold and creamy buffalo mozzarella, then there is really no way to go wrong with this salad. But make sure you have great ingredients. The simplicity means this dish depends heavily on the best ingredients so don't skimp. Pull out the fancy olive oil for this dish!

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 25 minutes
Cost: $29.87 (caveat)



Citrus-Pepper Shrimp Scampi

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 package whole wheat orzo (I had to find it at Whole Foods, but substitute regular orzo if you can't locate whole wheat)
4 tsp butter
4 tsp olive oil
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed - optional)
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp black pepper

Boil water and cook the orzo according to directions. Skip any recommendations to add salt or anything else to the water. When it's done, drain, rinse quickly with cold water to keep the orzo from sticking, and place in a bowl.

Once your orzo is boiling, heat a pan over medium high heat. Give the pan a couple minutes to heat and add 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil. As soon as the butter begins to melt swirl the pan to get the butter and olive oil to mix and toss in the shrimp.

Stir nearly constantly to keep the shrimp from burning and ensure they cook evenly. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the shrimp are just cooked. They should turn pink and curl tighter. As soon as they do this, pour the shrimp out onto a plate to keep them from overcooking. Set the plate to the side.

Return the now empty pan back to the burner. Add the remaining 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil and once again swirl to make sure they are mixed. As soon as the butter is melted add the minced garlic. In fact, if you really love garlic like I do, go for 5 cloves instead of 4.

Stir frequently to keep the garlic from burning and cook for 1-2 minutes. You want it to just start to brown without burning. It is incredibly easy to burn or over-cook garlic.

After 1-2 minutes, add the shrimp back into the pan. Immediately add the lemon juice, cilantro, and black pepper. Stir well to make sure everything is well mixed and then right away remove from the heat to avoid overcooking.

Pour the shrimp mixture over the orzo in a bowl and toss well. Make sure you get all of the sauce out of the pan since there is not a lot of extra to keep the calorie count low. Enjoy immediately! You are sure to be delighted.

Fresh Caprese Salad
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
4 decent sized fresh tomatoes (any variety but make sure they are fresh and ripe)
8 oz fresh Buffalo Mozzarella
1/4 tsp freshly ground salt or kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp olive oil (high quality!)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 c fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped in large pieces (just in half)

Ready for world's simplest salad? First, as noted above, ensure you have the best ingredients possible. You need very ripe, summer tomatoes that are absolutely mouth watering. Fresh, creamy buffalo mozzarella is essential - no mozzarella balls or less than fresh varieties. Make sure your olive oil is of extremely high quality and your basil is freshly picked with no wilting. Good to go? Then we're almost there!

Wash and cut the tomato into relatively thick slices, just under 1/2" thick. Place them slightly overlapping in concentric circles on a plate. Cut the fresh mozzarella in 1/4" slices and place on top of the tomatoes.

Sprinkle the tomatoes and mozzarella with the salt and pepper. Then, lightly drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Finally, sprinkle with the fresh basil. You want big pieces but torn or cut in half to help release the flavors.

Enjoy!