Loulé Shrimp

Back when I was a little rascal nipping at my mother's heels, I was lucky enough to go on a family trip to Portugal. Because I was so young, memories of the trip are limited, but two stick with me to this day: 1) the time I roamed around wearing nothing but a headband and wielding a tennis racket (I know this because a photo of me naked now has prominent placement on the mantle), and 2) an amazingly delicious dish called "Loulé shrimp" that has become a family staple ever since.

I'm not sure if the people of the region actually called it "Loulé shrimp" or if my mom just gave it that name because we ate it there. But that's neither here nor there. The important thing is that it's an incredibly simple dish (literally a 20 minute meal) that is both delicious and reasonably healthy.

You'll Need:

* Large cooked (1lb. serves 2-3 people; can buy raw or pre-cooked)
* Olive oil
* Crushed red pepper flakes
* Garlic
* 1 lemon
* 1 package rice pilau

Start the rice pilau following the instructions on the box. It generally takes about 20 minutes to cook down in water with a splash of oil/butter. As that's on the go, peel your shrimp. Chop up some garlic and saute it in olive oil in your wok or frying pan. Then add the shrimp and cook until they're nice and pink. Sprinkle the whole shabang with crushed red pepper flakes (plus salt to taste) and squeeze a lemon onto the little devils to finish it off. If you're feeling really frisky, toss in some coriander leaves at the end for added taste.

And that's basically it. Serve with your rice pilau and maybe some hunk of french bread for soaking up the sauce. For some greens, this white bean salad works nicely. A cheap white wine or a light lager to wash it down.