Shrimp is an awesome option for a midweek meal because they cook fast, and with a little bit of prepping, you can have dinner one the table within thirty minutes, with very little of hands-on time.
I have to say, my favorite option for shrimp is the IQF (individually quick frozen) bags you can get in the freezer section. Often these shrimp are IQFed right on the boat, so are more fresh than what you might find at the seafood counter (much of which is often also IQF but then thawed there). You can keep the bags right in your freezer and thaw as you need it rather than letting the seafood counter guy do it, and then you know it is fresh. I opt for the kind that are already cleaned, and we like the large or medium size, depending on the recipe; you can usually find a variety of sizes and choose the option that works best for you and your recipe.
Here, shrimp marry nicely with broccoli and a bit of lemon and spice. Super simple and straightforward. I like to serve this over our favorite grain.
Shown here with roasted veggies and A's green sauce.
One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli
Yield: 5-6 servings
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 medium cloves garlic, sliced, divided
I large head broccoli, cut into smallish florets
2 bell peppers (red or yellow preferred), diced 1/2 inch
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
1 T tomato paste
1 tsp harissa paste, optional
1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (21-30 count)
juice of 1 lemon
For serving: favorite grain for serving
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add half the garlic and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add broccoli, bell pepper and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice and adding 1 tablespoon water if the pot is too dry, until the vegetables are tender, 7 - 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Add the remaining garlic and tomato paste and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add harissa, if using, stirring to combine and then add shrimp and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Return the broccoli mixture to the pot along with lemon juice and stir to combine.
Serve over your favorite grain. Enjoy!