Mediterranean Shrimp Bake
Sunny and umami flavors are the hallmarks of this seafood-based casserole. The herb mixture made at the top of the recipe is a simple pesto-style sauce that would taste terrific on your favorite grilled fish, too.
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Tip: For this dish, make sure to use quartered artichoke hearts that come packed in water without any flavorings; marinated artichoke hearts, which are highly seasoned, are a better choice for pizzas, salads and antipasto platters.
Small But Mighty
At roughly 209 calories per cup cooked, nutrient-rich shrimp is the starring protein in this bake. Not only is shrimp a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, but it’s also one of the richest food sources of iodine, a mineral required for proper brain and thyroid health and one that many people are deficient in.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup each fresh parsley and basil leaves, coarsely chopped
- 2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided (TRY: Origin 846 Unfiltered Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 14-oz BPA-free can quartered artichoke hearts, drained (TRY: POSHI Freshly Steamed & Marinated Artichokes)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp each ground black pepper and red pepper flakes (TRY: Simply Organic Crushed Red Pepper Flakes)
- 1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tsp arrowroot powder (TRY: Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot Starch/Flour)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1/4 cup whole-grain bread crumbs
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mist a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. To a food processor, add parsley, basil, lemon zest and garlic. Purée until almost smooth with a few small chunks remaining. Add capers and pulse to combine. Set aside.
3. Cut fennel in half lengthwise. Using a mandoline or sharp chef’s knife, cut one-half of fennel into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Chop remaining half into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
4. In a large skillet on medium, heat one-half of oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chopped fennel and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, artichoke hearts, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until tomatoes start to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Stir in shrimp, rice and parsley mixture. In a small bowl, whisk broth with arrowroot; add to skillet. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in spinach.
6. Scrape into prepared casserole dish. Lay sliced fennel over top and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Drizzle with remaining one-half of oil. Bake until fennel is browned and crispy on edges and shrimp are pink, firm and opaque, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1/6 of recipe
- Calories 223
- Carbohydrate Content 26 g
- Cholesterol Content 106 mg
- Fat Content 6 g
- Fiber Content 4 g
- Protein Content 18 g
- Saturated Fat Content 1 g
- Sodium Content 657 mg
- Sugar Content 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 1 g