Last night, I started cooking for a friend who will be having surgery this week. I began with some healing soups (spring onion, vegan vegetable/barley) and added some crostini toppers (roasted garlic and a tomato/curry/turmeric chutney). My good friend Wendy came over to taste and critique--I know I can always count on her to give her honest opinion about whether it’s tasty or not, and what might make it more flavorful. In the middle of tasting the soup and crostini with a glass of wine, my daughter came in to the kitchen to ask, “Mom, what are WE having for dinner?”
I needed something quick and nutrient rich, since my daughter is studying for year-end exams. I opened my freezer and saw a bag of frozen shrimp, and shrimp scampi came to mind. Since shrimp has more than 100% of the daily value of tryptophan (for calming nerves during test prep), and over 60% of the daily value of selenium, plus vitamins D, B12 and plenty of iron, I knew it would be a healthy choice. And it takes about 10 minutes to make (the rice takes longer than that!), so I could have dinner on the table in under an half hour. This scampi recipe, while improvised, is quite tasty. The lemon zest and lemon juice give it a zip, and the red pepper adds spice. With brown rice it is a lovely, quick weeknight dinner.
Shrimp Scampi
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy)
1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add minced garlic. Stir until translucent—about 3 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, shrimp, salt and pepper. Stir/sauté about 5 minutes until shrimp turns from pink to white. Add white wine, lemon juice, zest and sauté an additional 3-4 minutes. Add chives and parsley. Serve with brown rice.
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