Broke Bee Diet & Cupboard is Almost Bare Recipe 2

I am a Broke Bee in these hard economic times and therefore I am pulling out all my tricks on how to stretch food dollars, invent tasty dishes from inexpensive items, etc.   One big way is to:

• cut down on portion sizes,
  
• use leftovers completely,
  
• cut down juice conception,
  
• stop buying bottled water when I can use tap water (I did this a few months ago and it does save money),
  
• etc

This belt-tightening is actually becoming a bit of a game.  I just might take off a few pounds in the process.  If I did that, I could get a
whole new wardrobe by delving into the bins of clothes that don’t fit now but will one day.  (I know y’all know about those.)  I didn’t give all my outgrown clothes to Goodwill.

The second component of the Broke Bee Diet is to conquer my sweet tooth!  I will only bake a cake, pie or cookies when I’m having people over or going someplace where there will be a crowd to consume them, thereby keeping me from having more than my share.  I will also buy a lottery ticket when I’m tempted to go into Dunkin Donuts and buy a donut.  (I don’t drink coffee so the only reason I ever go into DD is for a donut or muffin.)  Wouldn’t it be great if I got some cash that way?  (Now, I haven’t planned what I’ll do when I run into sweets through no fault of my own.  Hmmmm, I’ll have to figure that one out.)

Here’s my Cupboard is Almost Bare Shrimp Recipe

(I made this the night before last. It came out delicious enough that I could make it for company.)

2 handfuls of large shrimp (from deep in the recesses of the freezer, gotta love those trips to Costco)
2 large carrots, julienned
1/3 large green pepper, julienned
1/3 large red pepper, julienned  (I saved the other thirds of both peppers for another meal)
¼ medium Spanish onion
4 green onions (tops – ends were shriveled)
2 pinches of kosher salt (1 for veggies, 1 for shrimp)
1 T pepper (some on veggies, some on shrimp)
Garlic powder to taste (I usually use fresh garlic, but alas – had none)
1 teas. smoked paprika
2 T olive oil (1 for veggies; 1 for shrimp)
½ pat butter (cutting down on butter but I just ain’t ready to eliminate it altogether)
Leftover cooked rice

Heat 1 T olive oil in cast iron skillet (or whatever skillet you prefer), sauté all veggies except green onions) on medium-high heat for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle ½ T pepper and 1 pinch of kosher salt half-way during the sauté time.  Sprinkle green onions on and then
remove veggies from skillet. 

Add 1 T oil and ½ pat butter to pan, sauté shrimp for about 2 minutes (just until pink), turn over – sprinkle with salt, pepper, 1 teas. smoked paprika.
Remove shrimp when 2nd side turns pink.

Into pan add a little chicken stock to spices and bits of oil and veggies left in skillet – reduce for about 2 minutes..  Add veggies and shrimp back to pot just to heat through (no more than 2 minutes, if you’ve kept them in a warm spot, just for 1 minute).  Serve over rice making sure to scrape all of the sauce up and spoon over your plate.

De-Li-Cious!   If I’d had my usual supplies, I’d have used white wine in the sauce, added some broccoli and/or mushrooms to the veggies.  But I didn’t and it was still some good.

Let’s see what kind of magic I can whip up tonight.  There’s an acorn squash in the crisper, frozen brussel sprouts and spinach, and boneless chicken thighs.  I’ve got cannellini beans and diced tomatoes. 

That’s enough to work some more magic tonight!  I’ll keep you posted on the Broke Bee eating plan. I just changed the name since diets never work!