Butterflied Shrimp Rockefeller - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. butter or oleo
1/4 c. minced shallots or onions
1 tsp. dry basil leaves
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/4 c. mayonnaise (may use low-fat)
1 tsp. lemon juice
18 large to jumbo shrimp (10 to 20 per lb.)
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Melt margarine in 2 to 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.
Add shallots, basil, pepper and fennel.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.
Squeeze liquid from spinach.
Add to shallot mixture and stir until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Peel shrimp, leaving the tail shell on.
Butterfly shrimp (slit underside from tail to head almost through and flatten).
Arrange shrimp on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Spoon about a tablespoon of spinach mixture on each shrimp.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. (At this point, shrimp can be covered and refrigerated for 1 day. Let stand at room temperature while preheating oven.)
Bake in 425\u00b0 oven until surface of shrimp is completely white (tail will be coral pink), 5 to 6 minutes.
Makes 6 appetizer servings or 2 to 3 entrees.