Shrimp with White Beans and Toast

hat I'm loving most about this Real Simple plan is that I'm picking up new techniques as well as new recipes. Tuesday of Week 3 brings us a novel concept: toasted bread.

Oh sure, I've made toast before - plop it in the toaster, host a 90-second dance party in the kitchen, and then POP! toast is done! I've even made the oven variations of baguette with garlic butter roasted for a few minutes before being topped with bruschetta. Or in loaf form topped with melty cheese for ooey, gooey, "put-on-your-eatin'-dress" bread. Why, then, did it take until today for me to make toast on the stovetop?

The sauce that resulted from the butter and white wine was quite a tasty way to cook the shrimp. I was a bit whateverish about the white beans, as I didn't think they brought the same level of impact that maybe some fava beans could have. Also, the local farmers who sell arugula to my supermarket were on strike, so I had to do without (good a guess as any why I couldn't find it in the produce section, right?).

TUESDAY:



Shrimp with White Beans and Toast
Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 15m

Total Time: 15m

Ingredients

* 4 slices country bread
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 4 cloves garlic, sliced
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 pound frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp, thawed
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
* 4 cups baby arugula (about 3 ounces)

Directions

1. Spread the bread on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the butter.

2. Cook the bread in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet.

3. Wipe out the skillet and melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

4. Add the wine and bring to a boil.

5. Add the shrimp, season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and simmer until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Fold in the beans and arugula and cook just until the beans are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over the bread.

Tip

This hearty shrimp-and-bean mixture is also delicious served over pasta.

Nutritional Information

Calories 458; Fat 20g; Sat Fat 11g; Cholesterol 218mg; Sodium 704mg; Protein 30g; Carbohydrate 32g; Sugar 4g; Fiber 5g; Iron 6mg; Calcium 166m