Herbed Shrimp and White Beans with Arugula – dinner in 30 minutes

This herbed shrimp and white beans dish with arugula can be on your dinner table in less than 30 minutes and even less if you ask your fish monger to peel the shrimp for you.

The month of October has been extremely busy for us. We’ve taken two driving trips, one to see old friends in Alabama one weekend and another long weekend in Arkansas for my high school class reunion. To use a southern expression, “we’re pooped.” When it gets too cold in the mountains to wear flip-flops and deck shoes and we have to get our socks out, it’s time to go south. Very soon we’ll be heading south for the winter, entailing another long and tiring trip on the road.

This is exactly the kind of meal we like to prepare when we’ve returned home from our travels. Quick, easy, and light. If you have a well stocked pantry and an herb garden, there’s not even much shopping to do. Pick up some arugula, maybe watercress or use all arugula, a few cherry tomatoes and a pound of shrimp at the store and you’re good to go. If they are available, buy wild caught shrimp. They are sooo much tastier and fresher than the farm raised ones.

I’ll be taking a mini break, so if you don’t see me around for a week or two, don’t be concerned. I’ll be busy settling in for the winter down south and shall return soon.

For my friends who are suffering from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, you’ve been in my thoughts and prayers and will continue to be. The eye of Sandy passed over our old homes in the Bahamas last weekend before setting her sights on the northeast. Living in the islands for years, we know what hurricanes and long power outages feel like. It wasn’t easy being without power for thirty seven days after Hurricane Floyd. But we kept busy rebuilding our dock that was totally destroyed. I hope you recover quickly and your life is back to normal very, very soon, and that you can keep your sanity through it all.

Herbed Shrimp and White Beans with Arugula 
Adapted slightly from Cooking Light – serves 4 – a quick & easy recipe

Vinaigrette:
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups loosely packed arugula
1 cup trimmed watercress (or use all arugula as I did)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained well
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon water
24 peeled and deveined medium wild caught shrimp, about 1 pound,
Cooking spray
Kosher salt

Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Place arugula, watercress if using, tomato halves, parsley and beans in a large salad bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.

In a medium bowl combine honey and water and stir with a whisk. Add shrimp to the mixture and toss to coat. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and add to pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side, or until done. Serve with the salad.

Alternately, if you don’t have a grill pan, you can sauté the shrimp in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil, following the cooking directions above.

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This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farms, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friday at Simple Recipes, Foodtastic Friday at Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Seasonal Sunday at the Tablescaper, and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable.

Have a great weekend everyone. I’ll be back before you know it.