Easy Weeknight Dinner, Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli

After running around after a toddler all day, I am tired! While he is napping, I am catching up with social media, editing photos, and preparing material for the blog. Today, I wanted to showcase this simple supper that can be made in just about 20 minutes. Last week, Jenna from A Savory Feast posted a great link on how to roast broccoli, which reminded me about my recipe for Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli.

This recipe is simple enough for a weeknight supper, but impressive enough to serve at your next get-together. Because all the cooking is done in your oven, it can be doubled or tripled, and still cook within the same window of time. This dish is super healthy too, with lean shrimp and vitamin-rich roasted broccoli. This dish gets its flavor impact from lemon, red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of good-for-you olive oil. I serve it over orzo with a sprinkle of feta cheese and pine nuts to make it a complete meal that satisfies everyone.

Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound raw shrimp
• 1 pound broccoli, about 2 crowns, cut lengthwise to utilize both stem and florets
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper, season to taste

A note on shrimp: If you can find fresh whole shrimp (yes, head-on) they will give the dish even more flavor. The best I can do at my local store is frozen shell-on, tail-on. I clean the vein out, and then roast them without peeling. Peeled, deveined shrimp will also work in this recipe.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Toss shrimp and broccoli with a good drizzle (2 tablespoons) of olive oil, salt, pepper, zest and juice of one lemon, and red pepper flakes.
2. Lay out on a baking sheet, shrimp on one side and broccoli on the other. If you are making a larger batch, you can put broccoli on one and shrimp on another. There is a good reason for this step, I promise.
3. Roast for 13-15 minutes. At this point, remove the shrimp and check the doneness of the broccoli. I prefer my broccoli to be very al dente, so I take mine out at this point. If you like a softer roasted broccoli, leave it in for 5-10 more minutes. If you separated your shrimp and broccoli, it is very quick to take off the sheet pan while leaving your broccoli put.
4. When the broccoli is done to your liking, combine the shrimp, broccoli, and any juices remaining on the sheet pan, and serve. Yum!

Broccoli and shrimp on sheet tray, separated, before roasting

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