Quick Dinner: Mediterranean Shrimp with Lentils

It's finals time! I've always had difficulty motivating myself to make dinner when I have piles of work waiting for me at my desk. Nevertheless, in an effort to craft super fast brain food, as well as clear out some things in the kitchen, I threw together this spicy shrimp dish. When I'm cooking for myself I rarely use recipes. I urge you to fly solo every once in a while as well. You may be surprised what you come up with! 

Here's what I did...

Ingredients: 

Extra virgin olive oil 

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

Garlicy green olives 

Orange lentils 

Dried oregano 

Red pepper flakes 

Vegetable broth 

Trader Joe's Frozen Shrimp, thawed

Alfalfa sprouts 

Feta cheese, crumbled 

Balsamic vinegar 

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper 

Steps:
1. Drizzle a little olive oil in a pan. Over medium heat saute red pepper, olives, lentils, oregano and red pepper flakes until the peppers are tender. 

2. Add enough vegetable stock to cover the bottom of the pan. Let the broth come up to a simmer, cooking the lentils! 

3. Add the shrimp and let everything reduce until the shrimp have cooked through. They'll be pink when they're done!

4. Add a handful of sprouts & crumbled feta to the pan. Let everything heat up and mix. 

5. Plate the saute drizzle with balsamic. Season with salt and pepper.

The wonderful thing about meals like this is that you can adjust it to fit your personal taste. If you keep to a meatless diet, substitute some tofu or other veggies for the shrimp. If you need a bit more substance to your dinner try added pieces of cooked chicken or spicy sausage. More quick & easy meals to come as college life comes to a close...Enjoy!