Paleo Slow Cooker Down-Home Shrimp Recipe

For me, I always look for two very important things in a new recipe:
1. That is it Paleo friendly.
2. I can make it quickly or in the slowcooker.

I love to make healthy, home-cooked meals from scratch, but I don't have a lot of time. I was ecstatic to receive my newest cookbook, The 163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes.

If you are unfamiliar with eating Paleo, let me explain a little more. The Paleo diet is one of most popular diets being followed today and has been embraced by nearly 1.5 million people in North America. The basic principle of the diet is that the recipes contain no grains or legumes (therefore making all of them gluten-free), no refined sugars and no refined oils or processed ingredients. For our family, eating this way has helped us all feel our best and be healthier!

I absolutely love this new cookbook! It has great recipes, from Starters and Snacks to recipes made from every type of meat you can think of. Plus, it also has chapters for Just Veggies and Desserts! I can't wait to make some of their soups, when fall rolls around.

Whether you are just starting to eat Paleo and need some great recipe ideas or a veteran of Paleo eating who wants to mix things up in the kitchen, you will find delicious recipes in this cookbook.

Doesn't Down-Home Shrimp sound good? I am huge fan of it, and I had to share the recipe below. Enjoy!

Down-Home Shrimp 
(page 110, Fish/Seafood, Entertaining)

Serves 4

Here’s a dish, Cajun-inspired, that packs just a hint of heat and yields a great sense of freshness. It makes a great one-pot meal.

     Medium (approx. 31⁄2 quart) slow cooker

1 lb      shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved   

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice     

1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper       

1 cup  dry white wine      

1 cup  water  

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil  

1          onion, finely chopped       

2          stalks celery, peeled and diced   

1 tsp    cracked black peppercorns            

1⁄2 tsp sea salt         

1⁄2 tsp dried thyme  

2          bay leaves     

1          can (14 oz/398 mL) diced tomatoes with juice   

1 cup  shrimp stock (see Tips)     

2 cups            thinly sliced okra (see Tips)         

1 cup  corn kernels 

1          red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced     

2 tbsp clarified butter         

2          cloves garlic, minced          

1. In a small bowl, combine shrimp, lemon juice and cayenne. Stir well, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add peppercorns, salt, thyme and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil.

3. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Stir in shrimp stock. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours. Stir in okra, corn and bell pepper. Cover and cook on High for 20 minutes, until okra is tender. Remove and discard bay leaves.

4. When you are ready to serve, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the clarified butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Using a slotted spoon, immediately add reserved shrimp, in batches, and cook, stirring, until they turn pink, adding remaining butter as necessary. Transfer to slow cooker as completed. Add marinade juices to pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add to slow cooker, stir well and serve.

Tips

• If you are halving this recipe, be sure to use a small (11⁄2 to 3 quart) slow cooker.

• Okra, a tropical vegetable, has a great flavor but it becomes unpleasantly sticky when overcooked. Choose young okra pods, 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long, that don’t feel sticky to the touch. (If sticky they are too ripe.) Gently scrub the pods and cut off the top and tail before slicing.

• To make shrimp stock: In a saucepan, combine shrimp shells, white wine and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain, pushing the shells against the sieve to extract as much flavor as possible. Measure 1 cup (250 mL) and set aside. Freeze excess.

Make Ahead

Complete Steps 1 and 2. Cover and refrigerate shrimp, shrimp stock and vegetable mixture separately, overnight. When you’re ready to cook, continue with the recipe.

I received this cookbook for review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.