Easy Peel Shrimp

I've recently discovered "easy peel" frozen shrimp at the grocery store. They come in a 2 lb bag for about $9.50. They take about 10 minutes to thaw in cool water, and I can peel the entire bag in under 10 minutes, which I think it great. They come deveined, so all I have to do is pick up a thawed shrimp, pull of his tail, and then pinch off his legs and shell. I only have to pinch once, as the cut at the top makes the shell really easy to remove. If you've ever deveined and peeled 2 lbs of shrimp you'll be able to tell right off how easy this makes it.

I've been making shrimp dishes about once a week since I discovered them. I was on the treadmill on Friday watching Giada on the Food Network (deadly combination) and she made a shrimp dish that looked fabulous. I immediately went to the store and bought stuff to make it. The dish was fabulous! Even better the next day after the shrimp had time to soak in the garlic and lemon juice. I hope you make this dish!

Scampi on Couscous

Photo courtesy the Food Network

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed, plus 2 garlic cloves minced
2 (8 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes in their juice
1 (8ounce) bottle clam juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
2 cups plain couscous
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. When almost smoking, add onion, carrot and 1 clove smashed garlic and saute until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, clam juice and white wine. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Carefully pour tomato mixture in the bowl of a food processor and puree. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed - you want to end up with a broth. Check for seasoning.
Return broth to the pot. Add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add 2 cups couscous. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let rest for 10 minutes, allowing the couscous to absorb all the liquid. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the 2 cloves of minced garlic. Heat the oil, making sure not to burn the garlic. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and stirring occasionally, cook the shrimp until they start to turn pink, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or they will become tough. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, red pepper and chopped parsley. Check for seasoning.
To serve, mound the couscous in the center of a platter and top with the shrimp.