I love shrimp! It’s super fast to cook and is really quite versatile as it can be used in soups, fried in a pan, baked in the oven, skewered on a BBQ and even poached in a broth.
When I first tried this whole Paleo lifestyle, I really found this recipe to be one of my quick and easy go-to meals to make, simply because it takes so little time to prep for, is super fast to cook and doesn’t require anymore than 1 pan, which means only one burner on the stove. This is kind of important for me because I’m usually cooking extra things to add to the meals for my family as they’re not following a Paleo lifestyle.
This is a pretty easy dish to throw together as it only takes about 20 minutes to prep and about 20 minutes to cook it up…The quantities I list below should serve 2 people because I make this my wife Renée and I and there’s usually enough for a leftover lunch the following day.
What you’ll need
- 2 cups shrimp, deveined and peeled
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 4 cups fresh kale, coarsely chopped
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 tsp fish spice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
How you’ll put it together
You’ll begin by peeling and deveining your shrimp. Pat dry and add ¼ of the fish spice and mix it thoroughly then set aside.
You’ll then melt your cooking fat in a cat iron pan over medium heat. The oil you use in this recipe will really dictate the flavors…In the past I’ve used bacon fat as well as olive oil. (I suggest you give all three a try.) Don’t have a cast iron pan…? no big deal, just use a regular frying pan.
You’re going to then add your onion, garlic and ¼ of the fish spice, cook it down until soft, usually about 2 to 3 minutes.
Next, you’re going to add the sweet potatoes along with another ¼ of the fish spice and cook them until they are soft but still a bit firm…you don’t want them mushy here, just not crunchy! This usually takes around 12 to 15 minutes.
Size does matter here folks… Depending on the size of chunks you cut your sweet potatoes into is directionally proportional to the amount of time it takes to cook them. Smaller chunks take less time, while larger chunks take longer.
You’re then going to add your shrimp and cook them for about 3 to 4 minutes. You can tell they’re done when they’re no longer that almost translucent color and are more of a white color. Really keep an eye on them cause they can overcook quite easily and overcooked shrimp are kind of tough.
I usually push the contents of the pan to the outside creating a circle in the middle and then add my shrimp into the middle of the pan for the first minute or so before I mix it all together.
Lastly, you’re going to then turn the heat down to low and throw in your kale and the remaining ¼ of the fish spice. Just toss everything together until the Kale becomes wilted and you’re done!
Add a sprinkling of your S&P and serve it up warm.