Simple Baked Stuffed Shrimp with Hericot Vert and Champignons

Baked Stuffed Shrimp, with Hericots Vert, and champignons.

Otherwise known as Baked Stuffed Shrimp, with French cut green beans, garlic, mushrooms and a pinch of Tarragon!

This was a dish I came up with based on what we had laying around.  Was a typical Sunday in the Price household – fire going, reading, watching movies – basically a totally lazy day.  Never made it to the grocery store to get the ingredients for an awesome beef chili that I got from Cooks Illustrated magazine – more on that later – what an AWSOME magazine!!!  HIGHLY recommended!

So, anyway, no energy to go to the store, so I made what I could with what I had.  Sunday is no diet day, so no worries about fat, etc.  We LOVE baked stuffed shrimp,  - it's a simple, decadent treat.  We always keep frozen, jumbo shrimp – 21-25 count per pound.  Had half a bag of French cut green beans, some leftover mushrooms from an omelet,  some garlic,  and a pinch of Tarragon.  Needed a can of lump crab meat, which I usually keep at least one around for seafood stuffing ( not the cheap regular crab – its about 5 bucks a can, but well worth it!  I only use it for stuffed shrimp), some bread crumbs., parmesan cheese and an egg for the shrimp and we were good to go!

Here is the recipe:

Baked Stuffed Shrimp:

8 frozen shrimp, thawed in warm water, peeled, and butterflied

1 can lump crab meat

3 frozen shrimp – cooked in the microwave for 1 minute, and minced

1 egg, beaten

4 tbs (or so – only to bind) plain bread crumbs

3 tbs parmesan cheese

pinch cayenne pepper

1 tsp old bay seasoning

¼ tsp dill

3 twists each of fresh ground sea salt, and pepper

Shake of paprika

1 stick butter, melted into coffee cup

Haricot Vert:

½ bag frozen French cut green beans

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs butter

½ can sliced mushrooms

SMALL pinch of dried tarragon ( a little goes a LONG way with this spice)

Directions:

For the Shrimp: pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, gently fold can of crab, minced shrimp, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, old bay, cayenne, dill, salt, pepper and beaten egg.  Mixture should be thick, and easily molded into small balls.  On a small baking pan, lined with foil, and gently brushed with olive oil, place butterflied shrimp.  Place 1/8 of the stuffing mixture, molded into about a golf ball size ball, on each shrimp.

Place in oven, and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Divide butter into two small serving bowls, serve with shrimp.

For beans: Melt butter, and sauté garlic till tender.  Add beans, mushrooms and tarragon – pinch of salt and pepper, and heat through out as shrimp are cooking.  Beans take about 10 minutes or so on med-high, so start about halfway through.  Serve with shrimp, and enjoy –

Bon Appetite!!