Girls Night: Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Vegetables

About once a month my roommate and one of our best friends, Katey, do a “girls night.”  We get dinner, chat it up and reminisce about the good ol’ college days.  Because all of us are a little tight on cash and are trying to lose some weight, we decided to make dinner tonight instead of going out.  I found a recipe that intrigued me on Jillian Michaels’ website, one of The Biggest Loser trainers.  We paired the shrimp and veggies with brown rice and it turned out really well.  We were all really satisfied afterwards.  If you are counting calories, this recipe is 227 calories per serving (it serves 4).  Add brown rice and you’re looking at a 400 calorie, very filling dinner.  My only change was that I only used 1 lb of asparagus.  I bought two, and it just seemed like way too much.  The 1 lb was perfect with the peppers.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large red bell peppers, diced
• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound raw shrimp (26–30 shrimp per pound), peeled and deveined
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover to keep warm.
2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth, and add to the skillet along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the vegetables.