My kids describe this as Yummy Shrimp Mac and Cheese. They devour it and ask for more. I plan to make this for a friend who just had a baby. The whole family will love it and maybe it will help her recover faster with all the nutrients.
Artichokes are listed as #7 for antioxidant rich foods by the USDA. They also have the much needed benefit of making skin more luminous. Artichokes and mushrooms can lower cholesterol so they balance out the shrimp’s tendency to increase the bad cholesterol in our bodies.
Some people avoid shrimp if they have high cholesterol or gout. Shrimp have a bad wrap but they are actually quite good for you with the Selenium and Omega 3′s. Shrimp can prevent cancer cells from proliferating, repair damaged cells in your body, improve your good cholesterol, lower your blood pressure, and help with Alzheimer’s disease. They contain about 103% of your daily value of tryptophan which helps improve your skin and cells.
This is much easier than it looks. You can make this the night before or when they are napping. It takes about 15 minutes to prep.
To make:
1) Cook the pasta for 15 minutes and rinse with cold water. I cook the entire package even though I only need 6 ounces of pasta. You never know if the kids will be finicky and want plain pasta with olive oil and basil.
2) Slice 6 to 8 mushrooms. I doubled the recipe to be about 8 ounces for the extra vitamin D in the mushrooms. Mince 3 cloves of garlic.
3) Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on medium heat. Add the garlic. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Remove from the pan and place in your buttered casserole dish. Tip: grab the wax paper butter wrapper and rub the excess butter onto the casserole dish.
4) Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan you used for the mushrooms and melt. Add the shrimp and sauté until pink. Add the shrimp to the casserole dish when fully cooked.
5) Melt 4 1/2 tablespoons of butter and add the 4 1/2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour. Stir until smooth.
6) Add 3/4 cup organic milk and 3/4 cup half and half. Stir until smooth again.
7) Add 1/4 sherry or dry white wine. Taste to see if you want more.
8) Add 3 pinches of Celtic Salt, a pinch of black pepper, and 2 shakes of paprika. Taste to see if you want more spice.
9) Add 1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce OR 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce. WHICHEVER you prefer.
10) Add half of the pasta to the casserole and toss. Add a 14 ounce can of chopped artichoke hearts. Spread the cream sauce on top. Sprinkle with more salt and top with 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle more paprika if you like.
11) Cook at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is a light brown.
Wine Pairing
2009 Domaine de la Croix Senaillet, Macon-Davaye, Burgundy, France
“In the Southern region of Burgundy, in the Macon region, in the town of Davaye, Richard Martin runs his three generations old estate. There, the soil is both chalk and clay, which leads to the wines of this region delivering the more steely and mineral side of Chardonnay. This unoaked Chardonnay is fresh and fruity with floral, peach and citrus fruit aromas followed by mineral notes. It shows mineral, citrus and honey flavors followed by a rich and luscious palate with a long finish. Named after the “Senaillet” cross that stands in the vineyard.” Perrine
Reasons you want to eat this:
- Artichokes are rich in fiber, potassium, calcium, iron and phosphorus. They are known to help liver disease, lower blood cholesterol, help with arteriosclerosis, gout, and lower blood sugar. By removing toxins in the liver, artichokes may improve your skin and migraine headaches. Who knew?
- Shrimp are high in Selenium, omega 3′s, protein. They may help lower blood pressure, raise your good cholesterol, fight cancer, can benefit Alzheimer patients in the early stages due to the DHA content. “Shrimp are an excellent source of selenium, providing 64.2% of the daily value for this trace mineral in a 4-ounce serving. Accumulated evidence from prospective studies, intervention trials and studies on animal models of cancer have suggested a strong inverse correlation between selenium intake and cancer incidence. Selenium has been shown to induce DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells, to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, and to induce their apoptosis, the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate worn out or abnormal cells.”
- Mushrooms are rich in Vitamin D, fiber, calcium, iron, copper, Selenium and protein. They may lower cholesterol levels, prevent breast and prostate cancer, boost your immune system, and assist in weight loss.
- Rice pasta is Gluten Free and has a lower glycemic index which means it is better for blood sugar levels. Brown rice pasta is high in fiber and can aid in losing weight. Rice is a low calorie food and is high in protein, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. All good things for your bones and muscles.
- Milk, butter, and half and half contain calcium, Vitamin D and phosphorus for bone health. They can improve your skin with the complex B vitamins such as B-12 and niacin.
- Celtic salt is unprocessed with more raw trace minerals than normal table salt which improves your immunity, adds digestion, cleanses your body and detoxifies. It also has a lower sodium chloride content.
- Paprika is the high Vitamin C content helps you absorb more iron and boosts your immunity. The Capsaicin is an anti-inflammatory that alleviates joint pain and arthritis. Paprika improves digestion by neutralizing stomach acids.
References:
https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=107
https://www.livestrong.com/article/539058-the-benefits-of-paprika/
https://www.livestrong.com/article/168886-celtic-sea-salt-benefits/
https://www.livestrong.com/article/547165-what-are-the-benefits-of-rice-pasta/
https://mushroominfo.com/benefits/
The Ultimate Cookbook- Shrimp and Artichoke Casserole
Preparation time: 35 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes
6 ounces pasta
1 pound shrimp
4 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 1/2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup half-and-half
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sherry
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (13-ounce) can artichoke hearts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika to taste
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain well and set aside. Cook the shrimp, peel, devein and set aside. Melt 4 1/2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and blend well. Stir in the milk and half-and-half gradually. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Add salt and pepper. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Add the sherry and Worcestershire sauce, mix well and set aside. Place the pasta in a greased casserole. Drain and chop the artichokes and layer over the pasta. Arrange the shrimp on the artichokes. Pour the sauce over the top, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Yield: 6 servings
