Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

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5 from 3 votes

Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

Servings: -6

Author: Pamela

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion diced or 2 large shallots, diced
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 18-oz jar diced tomatoes with the juice or 1 ¼ pounds fresh tomatoes, diced (but use any juice on the cutting board)
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1-1/2 to 2 pounds wild shrimp* peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen (you can leave the tail on or off as you wish)
4 ounces feta cheese** goat cheese is another nice option; see notes for how to use plant feta
2 Tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint or dill parsley is fine too
Serving suggestions: over cooked rice pasta, orzo, cauliflower rice, polenta, cauliflower mashed potatoes or spaghetti squash, toasted or grilled bread

Instructions

Position an oven rack about 5 inches underneath the broiler.
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch or larger oven-proof skillet (see note) over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.
Add the tomatoes with their juice, salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium-low and sauté uncovered, until the tomatoes are softened and some of the liquid has reduced, about 8 minutes.
Preheat the broiler to high. Arrange the shrimp over the tomato mixture in one layer. Simmer until the shrimp are ALMOST cooked. You want the shrimp to be barely pink on top. For medium shrimp, about 3 minutes. For large shrimp, about 5 minutes. For extra-large shrimp or chunks of fish, about 6-7 minutes. Sprinkle with feta cheese, if using, and pop under the broiler. Broil until the cheese is browned in some spots, about 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Be very careful with the handle of the skillet since it will be hot. Cover with an oven mitt or a towel.

Notes

If you do not have an oven-proof skillet, use whatever large skillet you have and then transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch or equivalent broiler-safe baking dish and proceed from there.

If your tomatoes are not juicy, you can add in a little white wine or fish stock.

*I am not specifying a size since I prefer wild shrimp over farm-raised and I will take what I can get - medium, large, or extra-large. The only thing that is affected by the size of the shrimp is how long you cook them! Furthermore, you can use 2x2-inch chunks of boneless, skinless fish like salmon, cod, halibut or your favorite fish. You can also brown chunks of boneless, skinless chicken or tender beef, like filet mignon, before starting the recipe. Remove them, sauté the onion and add the meat back before simmering. Lastly, you can use cooked chickpeas or gigante beans in place of the seafood. If you can fit more seafood, feel free to increase the amount to up to 2 pounds.

**If using vegan feta, do not broil the cheese since it will totally melt. Instead, sprinkle before serving.

Other ways to tweak the recipe: Serve over spinach or arugula Add chopped kalamata olives and/or defrosted or water-packed artichoke hearts with the shrimp. If you use goat cheese instead of feta, try herbs de provence instead of oregano and garnish with parsley instead of mint/dill. You can also sprinkle with breadcrumbs right before broiling. I think you could also transform this into a sheet pan meal with cherry tomatoes, cubes of feta and pre-sautéed onions. Cook all that at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes, add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes-ish, based on size of shrimp