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I admit. I don’t often eat shrimp due to the limited availability of quality wild-caught sources. But, every once in a while, I still get a craving for this little crustacean, and it’s a welcome change from other protein sources, as long as it’s clean! Lol.

It’s unfortunate that even some of the wild-caught sources found in local grocery stores might be suspect, particularly those from Asia or South America where there are fewer sanitation and labor restrictions. And, I can nearly guarantee restaurant entrees use farm-raised shrimp for greater accessibility and larger profit margins.

Why is farm-raised shrimp bad?
Farm-raised shrimp–and we might include other farm-raised seafood–can contain food coloring, contamination from salmonella bacteria, and illicit antibiotics, some of which can be linked to cancer, and have other negative consequences, namely human trafficking and depletion of natural mangrove environments. Interestingly, the FDA only inspects about 2 percent of shrimp imports for contamination, so it’s really hard to know what you’re truly getting in the form of clean, quality protein. (1,2)

But here is something to think about… If in the U.S. (and I suspect other countries operate the same way), raises much of our animal protein sources in the industrialized food chain, living in crowded, caged environments without access to sunlight, room to forage and defecate in open pastures, or feed on food natural to their diet, how are they physically healthy or safe for us to eat? (This is where the introduction of antibiotics given to animals began.) These animals are fed anything from GMO corn, soy, animal parts, and even outdated candy! (Read the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollen for more alarming information on practices of the industrialized food chain.) I can only guess farmed seafood can be looked upon in much the same way.

So, if mention of this alone gives you concern, make sure to use good wild-caught sources or replace it with free-range chicken, as I often do! Just sayin’. 😉 Otherwise, we’ll get on with this recipe!

Sources
1. Avila, Jim. May 14, 2012. “Antibiotics Illegal in the US Found in Samples of Foreign Shrimp: Food-safety critics say consumers should request domestic, wild seafood.” https://abcnews.go.com/Health/antibiotics-illegal-us-found-samples-foreign-shrimp/story?id=16344514

2. Guy, Allison. February 14, 2017. “5 Facts that Will Make You Think Twice about Eating Imported, Farm-Raised Shrimp.” https://oceana.org/blog/5-facts-will-make-you-think-twice-about-eating-imported-farm-raised-shrimp

Spicy Garlic Butter Shrimp

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by J. Irish, Ketolicious Eats Course: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Enjoy a simple 30-minute low-carb pasta meal with Palmini hearts of palm noodles (2 net carbs per 4 ounce noodle serving) and the flexibility to use alternative protein and herbs options.

Approximate Macros (using Cronometer)
Shrimp and parsley version: 347 calories | 28.2g protein | 10.3g net carbs | 19.3g fat
Chicken and parsley version: 377 calories | 29.2g protein | 10.3g net carbs | 21.8g fat

To reduce net carbs, consider using a half/half split of Palmini Noodles and zero-net carb shirataki noodles.

Ingredients

Protein Options: Wild-Caught Shrimp — OR — Free-Range Chicken Breasts
1-1/2 pounds 1-1/2 wild-caught shrimp, frozen
1-1/2 pounds 1-1/2 free-range chicken breasts, cut into 3/4″ pieces
Herb Options: Parsley — OR — Basil
2 tablespoons 2 fresh parsley (most common for this dish), chopped, with some left for garnishing
1 cup 1 fresh basil leaves, chopped, with some left for garnishing
Remaining Ingredients
36 ounces 36 Palmini noodles (zero-carb shirataki noodles can also be used as a replacement)
1/3 cup 1/3 Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio Cheese (it’s a raw block cheese from Italy, sold by Trader Joe’s), chopped in a food processor
2 cups 2 fresh spinach, chopped, or 1 cup frozen chopped spinach (chopped arugula may also be used as a sub)
2 cups 2 cherry tomatoes, cut in half (non-GMO sun-dried tomatoes can also be used as a sub)
4 to 5 cloves 4 to 5 garlic, minced
1/2 cup 1/2 organic free-range chicken broth
1 teaspoon 1 red chili flakes, less may be used if sensitive to the heat
1/2 stick 1/2 organic pasture-raised butter or lactose-free ghee (you’ll use 2 tablespoons of the butter/ghee to sauté the shrimp)
4 tablespoons 4 organic butter-flavored coconut oil
3/4 teaspoons 3/4 black pepper
1/2 teaspoons 1/2 pink salt
1/2 1/2 lemon, squeezed of lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon 1/4 to 1/2 cayenne pepper, optional

Directions

In a colander, rinse the frozen shrimp in cool water and allow to sit for about 15 min. You may need to run it through water again to break the shrimp pieces apart. I also like to lightly season with salt to help the ice crystals melt faster. (If using free-range chicken breast, skip to number 4 and 5 to cook the meat.)
Boil water in a medium sauce pan, and then add the Palmini noodles to it. Cook for about 10 min or until tender.
In a large skillet on medium-low heat, melt the remaining butter (or ghee), butter-flavored coconut oil, and spinach. Cook until everything is melted down and then turn heat down to a simmer.
In a medium to large skillet on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter, shrimp (or cut free-range chicken), cut tomatoes, cayenne pepper, red chili flakes, salt, pepper, and 3 teaspoons of minced garlic.
Cook for about 15 minutes so the shrimp is cooked through (the shrimp will curl up with a nice off-white color). Then turn off the heat.
Now, add the fresh parsley (or basil) and remaining minced garlic to the large skillet, and cook until the leaves have wilted.
I like to remove the cooked cherry tomatoes from the smaller pan and mix them with the other ingredients in the larger pan. Then, I place the shrimp on top of the plated noodles and pour remaining sauce from the shrimp pan over the pieces of shrimp. It provides a nice pop of color, especially if you’re entertaining.
Then plate, garnish, add extra parmesan if you like, and enjoy!