Shrimp Creole

“Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. There's, um, shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There's pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich... That's, that's about it.”                                                       Mykelti Williamson

A number of years ago, for New Years Eve, I came up with my own version and recipe of Shrimp Creole.  We had company that evening and I wanted to make a fantastic dish.  After going through my recipe books, I ended up creating my own.  It was beyond delicious and everyone commented on how good it was.  A few days later, I quickly wrote down this recipe before I forgot it.  Ever since, this is the only Shrimp Creole recipe I have ever made.  I decided to make it last evening for Mr. Cottage and I.  Believe it or not, but it is beyond fast, easy and elegant all at the same time... SHRIMP CREOLE by The Red Painted Cottage 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1 green pepper, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons minced parsley 1/4 cup butter 1  15 oz. tomato sauce 3/4 cup white wine 1 teaspoon salt dash of cayenne pepper dash of hot sauce 2 pounds medium shrimp (raw, DO NOT use the precooked or salad shrimp) Melt the butter over low heat and saute the finely chopped onion, celery, green pepper, garlic cloves and parsley... I happened to use red pepper last evening, in place of the green pepper, only because it was on sale and was actually less expensive than the green pepper.  After everything has saute until tender, add the tomato sauce, wine, salt, cayenne pepper and hot sauce... Let this simmer for the seasonings to blend.  Then add your freshly shelled shrimp... Continue to cook just until the shrimp is cooked, do not overcook it.  Serve over white or brown rice and enjoy!