GF Low Carb Spicy Bacon Shrimp & Spinach Madeline.. my 100th post!

This is the yummy low carb gluten free meal my honey made me on my birthday.  It is easy and really delicious!! You can make this shrimp in any quantity.  I would say 1 lb of shrimp for 2 people and go from there... you can adjust the rest of the ingredients from there.  And.. a package of bacon (a lb) would at least cover 2 lbs of shrimp.  If you can leave just the tail tip on the shrimp when cleaning them or buying them, they will taste better.. the shell makes a little tasty stock... that is the Louisiana secret of cooking shrimp, shells on!  Originally we thought we'd use a toothpick to keep the bacon on, but we couldn't find them, and it worked fine without and our bacon was very very thick.

For the spinach, we added some ground almonds to simulate bread crumbs... this is the yummy low carb gluten free version of Spinach Madeline... my favorite! It is so delicious, I eat the leftovers in the morning with my eggs... if there are any!!! :)

PS This is my 100th post!!!

Spicy Bacon Shrimp & Spinach Madeline

Spicy Bacon Shrimp
serves 2, increase as you need

1 lb cleaned Jumbo shrimp, tip of the tail shells still on if possible (better flavor)
block of pepper jack cheese
half a package bacon, pastured is best!
jalapeno slices
little coconut oil/pastured lard/butter
salt & pepper, to taste

These ingredients are approximate, you might not use it all (except for shrimp).  Top each shrimp with a slice of jalapeno and wrap with a half a strip of thick bacon or wrap a whole piece of thinner bacon around a few times.  Lightly oil/butter the bottom of a baking dish.  Lay shrimp in dish in a single layer, bacon end down.  Bake at 400˚F for 8- 10 minutes until shrimp cooks through (turns from translucent/gray to white/red).  Take out pan, and turn on oven broiler. Slice small chunk slices of cheese and lay on top of each shrimp.  Put pan back in and broil until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.

Low Carb Spinach Madeline
serves 6

1 16 ounce bag of organic spinach, chopped
1 small sized organic onion, chopped
3 medium sized or 4- 5 small cloves of organic garlic, diced or pressed
oil for sauteing, I used pastured bacon drippings
3/4 cup [raw pastured] cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup ground roasted almonds - you want it small, almost like flour, but careful not to make butter.
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
dash nutmeg (optional)
sea salt & fresh pepper, to taste

Cook spinach as instructed on package.  Drain all the water out with a colander - press the spinach a bit to get it out, if necessary. In a medium sized pot, sauté onions and garlic (tip: start the onions first, then add garlic, so garlic won't burn).  When onions are soft, add drained spinach, cream, and grated cheese and stir over medium heat until heated through. Add white pepper, and nutmeg, then salt and pepper to taste.  Let simmer on low for an additional 5 minutes.   Add almonds, & stir.  You can keep spinach warm by covering the pot and keeping it off the burner but close to the stove until ready to serve.  Or you can make in advance and heat up before serving (actually tastes better that way).