Seafood scampi from the Florida coast, letting you hold on to summer.

Every couple of years since I was 8 I have been going down to Florida to visit my loving grandparents. It was like going to a different world: It was freezing and snowing in Michigan, we usually left in march or April, the grey skies never brightening. So we, the 7 of us, would pile into the car and drive the 20 plus hours to sunny Florida.

The travel there was fraught with ups and downs, but we always got there in one piece.

It was so different than Michigan, things were growing and tropical. The weather was hot, and the air smelled of salt. My parents took us all to the ocean. (By the way, the ocean tastes werid. As we all grew up next to the great lakes, a common thought between kids is that the ocean tastes wrong.) The lakes are unsalted and shark and jelly fish free, but are also frozen 5 months out of the year. We left for Florida when they were still frozen.

My Grandmothers best thing she would make was seafood scampi. We liked it because there was always enough. Growing up in a large family, people never knew how to cook for us. The cool thing about this dish is that it fills you up and doesn’t take long to prepare. In the Florida heat it was just what you needed, and the quick cook time meant you didn’t need to heat up the house.

What you need!

1 lemon (juiced)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen spinach or kale
2 tilapia fillets cut in to large cubes
A 1 lb bag of peeled shrimp
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 oz white wine
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound of your favorite pasta, I like spaghetti or linguine in this

In heavily salted water boil your pasta to the directions on the package.

In a skillet on medium heat put the oil and the butter and onions, cook for 2 minutes, and then add the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes. Now add the tilapia and white wine. Cook for a minute, and then add the the frozen shrimp.

Smell the deep aroma, all those flavors will fill up the room.

Add the spices and salt, then stir occasionally to allow some browning. It should take 4 to 5 minutes for the fish to be cooked and it to be falling apart slightly. Now add in the kale or spinach and the juice of 1 lemon.

Once spinach or kale is well incorporated pour the mixture all over the drained pasta and stir well. Hope this recipe feeds you well, and lets you hold on to those last days of summer a little longer.