Dear Hungry & Tired readers: I have been so hungry and tired lately, and it has gotten in the way of making and enjoying meals with my family. I’ve had way too much take out, and I really need to dial back the amount of pizza and pie that has recently crept into my diet. Lately, life has been too full — mostly of good things — but now that it’s calmed down a bit, it’s important to take a moment to rest, relax, and get back to making quick and delicious meals. I have said it before, and I will say it again, I love Italian food! I have learned how to make some of the classics from my talented wife and her family, and have had the opportunity to tweak some classic dishes to make them slightly healthier, as well as quicker to prepare. I love simmering a sauce all day on the stove. Unfortunately, I have to go to work, which really gets in the way of my sauce! Do not fret, this healthy, paleo (if you ignore the bread) spicy shrimp recipe is very quick, very easy, and very delicious.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. raw, peeled and deveined shrimp
• 2 Tb. olive oil
• 1 32 oz. jar of marinara sauce, preferably Rao’s (trust me, it’s the best)
• 2 Tb. chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tb. fish stock (optional)
• 1-2 Tb. crushed red pepper flakes (the more, the spicier)
• 1 Tb. dried basil
• 1/2 Tb. dried sage
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 big loaf of crusty bread
• Parmesan (optional)

Baby Kale Caesar

• Baby Kale
• Caesar Dressing
• Croutons
• Parmesan (optional)

Serves: 2

Time: 20 minutes

The first thing to do is to rinse the shrimp, pat them dry and put them in a bowl. Throw 1 tsp. of kosher salt on the shrimp and give them a toss.

Put a large thick bottomed pan on the stove top, and turn the heat up to medium. Add 1 can of Rao’s marinara sauce.

Rao’s is wildly expensive — like $8 per jar. But, it is, hands down, the absolute best marinara sauce I have ever tasted (outside sauce homemade by real Italian people). It is worth every penny, and I would recommend that you track it down. They sell it at Whole Food’s. Using Rao’s is a substitute for making the sauce yourself, which saves hours of time, and will leave your kitchen looking much cleaner. And it’s still really, really good.

Add the crushed red pepper flakes, basil, sage, garlic and 1 Tb. of olive oil into the sauce.

Add 1 Tb. of fish stock. This step is optional, but gives the sauce a really nice depth.

Add the wine, and give the sauce a swirl with the heat at medium, and let the sauce simmer for five minutes. After five minutes is over, add the shrimp.

Stir the shrimp:

Stir the shrimp frequently for five minutes. Poaching the shrimp in the sauce will keep them from getting rubbery, and will give them great flavor. After five minutes, remove the pan from heat and turn to making the kale caesar.

Throw the baby kale, croutons and dressing in a big bow. Toss and plate the salad.

Spoon the shrimp into a bowl, and top with a splash of olive oil, red pepper flakes, basil and shredded parmesan. You can add shredded parmesan to the kale caesar too (I really like cheese. On everything). After twenty minutes of work, you’ve got yourself a healthy and delicious meal. Enjoy!