I spent over 10 years living in Australia, and there were two things I really fell in love with when I was there. The first, of course, was Trudy (who I eventually kidnapped and took back to New Zealand), and the other was the mouthwatering wild-caught shrimp (or prawns, as they’re called Down Under).

Since moving back to New Zealand I’ve still been a regular shrimp eater, but unfortunately shrimp doesn’t do well in the waters around here so most of the shrimp that’s available is the farmed variety imported from China or India. Although it tastes okay, it really lacks the firmness and “sweetness” of wild Australian shrimp.

So when we were at the supermarket the other day and I saw they had started stocking wild Australian banana shrimp, I could feel my mouth instantly start to water. Then I saw the price tag and my eyes started to water: $45 a kilo!

But I’m not one to let my taste buds miss out on a flavor sensation, and neither is Trudy for that matter, so as a treat we decided to buy a dozen. After debating how we should best put these large juicy shrimp to use, we decided to use them in a way that wouldn’t mask their wonderful flavor.

This Sizzling Shrimp with Feta is the result of that decision. It’s a ridiculously easy dish to make and it accents the flavor of the shrimp perfectly. If you make this dish yourself at home I highly recommend you use the best quality raw shrimp you can get your hands on — it really does make all the difference.

You can serve this dish by itself as a mezethes (Greek appetizer), or you can serve it as a complete meal with a side salad and some crusty bread to mop up the juices. It also tastes great tossed with freshly cooked pasta.

Click here for the recipe.

Looking for ways to get a meal on the table super quickly and with no hassles? Here’s a list of the quickest and easiest recipes from our website and from our cookbook. Most of these dishes can be prepared and cooked in only 15-25 minutes.

From our website:

• White bean pesto pasta with fast roasted tomatoes and zucchini
• Pasta puttanesca
• Simple shrimp and asparagus pasta
• Ham, mushroom and tomato pizza
• Simple fried rice
• Teriyaki chicken noodles
• Soba noodle scallops
• Tofu and cashew chow mein
• Dashi shrimp noodles
• Vietnamese baked fish
• Thai fish curry
• Shrimp, bok choy and snow pea stir-fry
• Wok-fried tempeh and vegetables
• Tuna and chickpea salad
• Avocado, tomato and basil salad
• Tuscan peasant salad
• Vietnamese green salad
• Japanese-style noodle salad with smoked salmon and avocado
• Bruschetta with tomato, mozzarella and anchovy
• Hummus and salad wraps
• Chicken and avocado salad wraps
• Italian-style pan-fried sandwich
• Tuscan white bean and garlic soup
• Spanish broccoli and almond soup
• Gazpacho soup
• Miso soup with tofu and mushroom
• Sardine toast topper
• Italian-style scrambled eggs
• Thai fish cakes with sweet chili sauce
• Spanish garlic mushrooms
• Mediterranean tuna and vegetable skewers
• Fava beans with marinated artichoke hearts and olives

From our cookbook:

• Pasta with shrimp and chile (page 147)
• Sicilian pasta with broccoli, raisins and pine nuts (page 148)
• Pesto pasta with salmon, broccoli and roasted red pepper (page 149)
• Pasta with salsa verde and smoked salmon (page 152)
• Stir-fried tofu, vegetables and water chestnuts in oyster sauce (page 157)
• Greek pizza with chicken, artichokes and feta (page 170)
• Provencal baked fish with vegetables (page 184)
• Bulgur pilaf with fava beans (page 191)
• Ham and egg fried rice (page 194)
• Japanese Tuna and vegetable udon noodle pot (page 201)
• Asian cilantro-peanut pesto noodles with chicken, broccoli and red pepper (page 202)
• Japanese-style marinated grilled tuna (page 216)
• Grilled Tuscan chicken with asparagus and red pepper (page 216)
• Grilled sweet chili scallops (page 218)
• Mediterranean-style grilled marinated salmon (page 218)
• Thai fish parcels (page 221)
• Mediterranean-style grilled vegetables (page 222)
• Fish burgers with roasted red pepper and wasabi mayonnaise (226)
• Italian-style chicken sandwich with pesto mayonnaise (page 232)
• Focaccia with smoked salmon and avocado (page 232)
• Tuna and sweet chili wraps (page 234)
• Turkish chickpea salad wrap (page 235)
• Southeast Asian hot and sour shrimp soup (page 250)
• Japanese soba noodle salad (page 252)
• Pesto pasta salad with white beans, cherry tomatoes and artichoke hearts (page 256)
• Turkish tomato cucumber and olive salad (page 256)
• Panzanella (page 258)
• Asian-style corn fritters (page 275)