Did Somebody Say Zoodle?!

So I got my first Hello Fresh box yesterday....

I was giddy.  Dinner in a box.  All I have to do is cook it.  Yesterday's shipment included Italian Meatloaf, Chinese Black Bean Chicken, and Pan-Seared Salmon. 3 meals for the week, the other two are all me.  We settled on Chinese Black Bean Chicken last night and it was NOT a flavor profile I ever want in my mouth again.  I don't cook with much ginger although I'm not opposed to the taste.  However, that flavor overwhelmed the dish and I ended up with a yuck taste in my mouth and couldn't finish my meal.  All that to be said, I have several friends who LOVE this service, so I won't base my opinion on one little dish.  I didn't choose the meals because it was a free box, but I can choose all that follow and pause shipment at any time so I'm perfectly great with that!  Looking forward to the next two meals!!!

Next up I'll be trying out Home Chef, then Blue Apron, and finally Plated.  Next month I'll do a little comparison with pros and cons of each. 

I don't plan on using a food delivery service every week because I still love my tried and true meals and trying out recipes from some of my favorite cookbooks, but I LOVE that it takes the guesswork out of meal planning.  I love that I don't have to think about what I'm cooking and it encourages me to try new things I wouldn't normally attempt to cook.  I'm anxious to see how these other food delivery services pan out :) 

When I'm not having food delivered to my doorstep, I'm leaning on the tried and true flavors I know and love.  We're big fans of seafood here in this house...and by we I mean me and my husband...so when I found this recipe I knew it had to go on the menu.  Shrimp is definitely my favorite seafood flavor and when it's paired with the right amount of spice, a little lemon, and one of my favorite veggies??!?!  Forget about it.  Too good to pass up!

SPICY SHRIMP AND ZOODLES

via Just a Taste

2 TBSP. olive oil

1 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 TBSP. minced garlic

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 C. chicken broth

Juice from 1 large lemon

2-3 medium zucchinis, julienned

salt & pepper, to taste

***Prior to cooking this dish, you will need to cut your zucchini into noodles.  I used my mandoline for this simple task, but you could also use a spiralizer.  Just make sure you have one of these in your arsenal of kitchen gadgets to make this go faster :)***

Heat oil in a large skillet and add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook for a minute(ish) and be sure to stir constantly to avoid burnt and sticky garlic/red pepper.

Toss the peeled/deveined shrimp into the skillet and stir to coat with the oil/garlic/red pepper flakes already in the skilled.  Cook until shrimp are pink and heated through, about 3-5 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste, and give it a good stir before removing from the skillet.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer shrimp to a bowl and set aside.  

Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the same skillet.  As the liquid heats, scrape the pan with a wooden spoon.  After two minutes, add the zucchini noodles...aka: ZOODLES...to the skillet and stir for about 3-5 minutes.

Toss shrimp back into the skillet of zoodles, stir, and season with a little more salt and pepper.  And maybe another sprinkling of red pepper flakes if you like it hot (we did ).  Serve warm and enjoy!

I can't say enough good things about this dish!!!  If you like shrimp like we do, you MUST try this SOON!  It was just the right amount of kick.  The shrimp were seasoned to perfection and the sauce with the zoodles was outstanding.  I used two zucchini in mine, but next time I'll up it to three.  Of course, this would've been amazing served with angel hair pasta as opposed to the zucchini, but this was pretty outstanding as is.  It filled me without leaving me stuffed and I love that kind of meal.  The flavor of the zoodles paired with the sauce couldn't have been better.  This is a pretty guilt free meal that I can foresee serving a lot more in the months to come!!!  

Winner, winner spicy shrimp dinner!!!!