It's "Potluck!" week again for I Heart Cooking Clubs, our chance to make any Nigella dish that we want to make. I found my recipe in November's issue of Health Magazine. It was a bit surprising to find it there because Nigella isn't someone you necessarily think about when you think of cooking healthy, but the recipe sounded really good. It was in the magazine's "Grocery Store Challenge" feature: "What Can You Do With a Bag of Frozen Shrimp?" where three food stars each provide a recipe. Along with Nigella, the great Mark Bittman and Alex Guarnaschelli of Food Network fame also had shrimp recipes. Nigella's "I Ricchi e i Poveri" (The Rich and the Poor), combines shrimp (the rich) and beans (the poor) in an easy one pan dish that once you have the shrimp defrosted, goes together in about 10 minutes. Easy peasy!
I Ricchi e i Poveri (The Rich and the Poor)
Nigella Lawson in Health Magazine, November 2009
(Makes 2 Servings)
Add 1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth, 1/4 cup water, and 1 bay leaf in a pan; cook over medium-high heat. When liquid starts to bubble, add 1 pound frozen medium shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined; cook 3 minutes. Add 1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, and cook until hot. Drain shrimp and beans and transfer to bowl; discard bay leaf. Add 1 teaspoon white wine or dry vermouth, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and toss. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Top with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
Serving Size 1 & 1/2 cups: Calories 510; Fat 16g (sat 2g, mono 10g, poly 3g); Cholesterol 336mg, Protein 39g; Carbohydrate 45g; Sugars 1g; Fiber 8g; Iron 8mg; Sodium 602mg; Calcium 142mg.
Notes/Results: Really good! It's a simple and very tasty recipe perfect for when you want to get dinner on the table in a hurry. The shrimp and beans make a nice pairing and served with a salad, it is an easy, healthy dinner. I did make a couple of small changes, reducing the olive oil to 1 tablespoon (shaves off about 100 calories from the dish), increasing the lemon juice to 1/2 lemon and sprinkling on some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. Next time I might toss in some garlic too--just because I love it and what is better on shrimp than lemon and garlic?! Since it is so quick and easy and I almost always have a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer and beans in the pantry, this is a keeper recipe and I will make it again.
You can check out what the other IHCC members made and what they thought of their dishes by going to the IHCC site here.
I like this because it combines a semi-expensive ingredient with a definitely not expensive ingredient! And it looks so tasty.
ReplyDeleteOh this sounds so beyond delicious. I love this type of meal. Great choice, thanks for showcasing it.
ReplyDeleteI love that they are poached in wine! Great idea to add the heat and more lemon - and the garlic will be a great addition next time. Delish!
ReplyDeleteDeb, I love the simplicity in this dish ~ filled with wonderful flavors and textures. It is a beautiful looking dish, as well. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThats a lovely and healthiful combination for sure Debi, so protein packed ....whats more Cannellini is my favorite bean anyday !...I am thinking of climbing on board the Nigella train very shortly ...I just bought Nigella's Christmas and am LOVING it : )
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious Deb! This is my kind of dinner. I love it because you can whip it up so quickly on a weeknight, but still feel like you are eating something luxurious. Can't wait to try this!
ReplyDeleteI love the simplicity of this dish and the fact that you added a little acid and heat. I'll bet this was good.
ReplyDeleteI made a shrimp and bean salad from Tyler Florence (I think), that was really good. The combination of beans and shrimp sounds weird, but it goes together so good!
ReplyDeleteSo great to see Nigella in Health magazine! I have a big craving for beans this would fit the bill nicely :D
ReplyDeletesounds so easy and delicious! definitely my type of cooking!
ReplyDeleteOh, simple and delish...love it! And all three of them- very cool :)
ReplyDeleteYour right its great to have those recipes that are quick to put on the table for those hectic nights!
ReplyDeleteNigella in Health magazine? No kidding...I am a big fan of shrimp and this one looks like a "must try" for me. I love the sweet pink shrimps.
ReplyDeleteShrimp and cannellini beans are an incredible combination. I can remember vividly the first time I had an appetizer of slow cooked cannellini with garlic and rosemary as the "bed" for very large prawns. The smell, the texture, the taste were so perfect I wanted to cancel my entree and have another appetizer. I'll have to try Nigella's version.
ReplyDeleteLook at those gorgeous shrimp! I love shrimp but for some reason I've lost my taste for the them! Hopefully, I will get it back soon!!
ReplyDeleteI always have both these on hand too. I don't think I've ever had them together. I bet their delicious paired together!
ReplyDeleteI love shrimp and cannellini beans - what a great dinner!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great go to recipe, because of all the pantry and freezer ingredients. Deb, you choose the best recipes! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous meal! I love the fact that it is quick for a week night dinner. I would have never thought of putting shrimp with cannellini beans.
ReplyDeleteBTW, there is an old pop Italian band from the 70's & 80's called 'I ricchi e i poveri'. I loved listening to them when I was growing up.
Thanks for sharing!
That looks lovely, Deb! I'll add it to my long list of recipes to try!
ReplyDeleteThis looks really good. I love shrimp and cannellini beans. I've never had them together before, but I'll be sure and try this soon.
ReplyDeleteI had to go back for another look at the recipe! How can she have done that recipe without garlic? Absolutely essential!
ReplyDelete