profile1I’m thrilled to announce the newest contributor to Around Anderson.  Candace Janidlo is an accomplished chef and an Anderson Township mom (she’s also my neighbor).  Candace knows good food and she knows what busy families love on the table.  You can email her at candacejanidlo@yahoo.com.

I love to cook. I love it so much I pursued a culinary degree from the Midwest Culinary Institute. I also worked as a pastry chef at The Summit, the fine-dining restaurant at the Culinary Institute. I happily spend a lot of time in my kitchen. Summertime, though, is chock-a-block with swimming, sleepovers, road trips, more swimming, and various day-camps and activities. Not for me! I have two children, ages 12 and 9, so some days I simply do not have hours to spend cooking. I still like to have a delicious dinner on those days, though, so developing quick and easy recipes has become a side project of mine. This one is a favorite with the whole family and my kids regularly request it.

Garlic Shrimp (Six main-course servings)

1 lb. large raw, peel-on, deveined shrimp
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons paprika OR red chili flakes (if you like a bit of spice)
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup white wine (optional; use 2 Tablespoons water otherwise)
salt & pepper to taste*

If you’re using frozen shrimp, thaw it. Peel and set aside.

Heat oil on medium-high heat in a large pan until it shimmers. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic and paprika or chili flakes. Sauté until garlic is fragrant but not browning, about 2-3 minutes. Add wine or water, scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan, and bring to a bubble. Add shrimp and cook, stirring often, until shrimp turn pink, about 4-6 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately on warmed plates.

The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility. Like lots of garlic? Use as much as you dare! Love paprika? Increase the amount up to about a tablespoon-and-a-half, and if you like your food to bite back, add up to about a tablespoon of chili flakes. Play with the recipe until you find what you like. The key is to taste over and over again until you add the shrimp.

I like to serve this shrimp with a simple rice pilaf or rustic crusty bread, steamed haricot vert (French green beans, more tender and sweeter than string beans), and a green salad.

Enjoy!

*I consider salt and pepper to be pantry staples and therefore something that doesn’t require a trip to the store to acquire, so I also don’t count it in the total number of ingredients.