Shrimp Pimp

Frozen, pre-cooked shrimp is like magic!

You just defrost it, and add it to whatever dish you're making, and it's instantly fancy.  Mexican rice?  Add some shrimp and call it a gumbo.  Fettucine Alfredo?  Add some shrimp and you're in an Olive Garden commercial.  Ramen Noodles?  Add some shrimp and it's Vietnamese.

By liberally adding shrimp to our past two dinners, I have gotten about 5 servings from a $6.50 bag.  Considering that the ingredients for the rice and the pasta were about $.50 per serving, and with adding a few vegetables at about $.75 per serving, I achieved a delicious, creative, colorful, filling, and fairly healthy meal for about $2.55 per person.  This number is actually high because I have leftovers.  All in all, it is cheaper than splitting a five-dollar-footlong, and much more rewarding.

Although the seafood may not be fresh (I'm landlocked), I have discovered that what rings in my head as a luxury is actually a recession friendly ingredient.