Spicy Prawns

Gosh - the first REAL post of the New Year!  And it's only taken me 26 days, 20 hours and some-minutes.  Whew!  I have recipes to share, I really do!  It's finding the time to share them that's hard to come by!

Winter is upon us here in our small town.  Snow is falling here and there, although not nearly as much as last year (thankfully).  And we've made it past our cold snap that always arrives in the middle of January.  Right when a toboggan party would work GREAT for Biggie Wiggie on her birthday.

And so, huddled by the fire, we're on the downhill slide into what one would call spring.  If only!!  Because once the snow starts to melt and making a left hand turn is easy (if you've ever seen the snow plowed into the middle of the road first thing in the morning you'll know what I mean) we always get one.last.dump.

Mr. Hungry and I love to share a treat when the kids go to bed.  No, not THAT kind of treat.  A snack.  One that tastes great and it easy to make while sugar plums dance in the wee one's minds.  And this time, we decided that some prawns would be good!


Spicy Prawns

Makes: as many as you want!

Prawns
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 lemon, halved












Start with the best thawed, peeled and deveined prawns you can find.  Good products produce better results.  Toss them into a large bowl and sprinkle with garlic powder and chili powder.

Next, heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the butter and olive oil.  Heat until melted and bubbling hot (but do not burn).











In as even a layer as possible, place your seasoned shrimp into the pan.  Then leave them alone, but not for long!

As soon as they start to turn pink (about 3-4 minutes depending on the size), start turning them.







Sautee on the other side until they are pink.  This takes about 3-4 minutes again.  The trick to knowing when they are done is seeing that the grey is gone and the prawn meat is pink.  Don't over cook as they get rubbery.











Once they are all pink, grab your lemon and squeeze 1/2 all over your shrimp.  Toss well in the pan to coat and transfer to a serving dish.

Make sure you include all the delicious juices from the pan.  They will help keep the prawns warm when you eat AND be the perfect sauce to dip pieces of warmed baguette! 





Serve with slices of lemon, for those that love that extra kick!

But don't worry - you don't need any bread to make this a special treat!  Just eat them as is, or for a meal - serve along side a nice rice pilaf.  Or some nice buttered and garliced pasta!

Yes, it's simple.  It's easy.  It's tasty.  That's the joy of cooking - not everything has to be difficult!

Sometimes it's best to enjoy the simple things....

--The Cook