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| Roasted broccoli with shrimp. Photo: Sarah LeTrent |
Grilling out defines summer, but after a busy weekday, few people feel like manning the grill or huddling over a hot grill pan. In this recipe, the oven does all the dirty work for you.
Enter this often overlooked and underrated method of cooking: roasting.
Try this method for broccoli and shrimp. Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars and brings out both ingredients' natural sweetness.
Coat a serving of broccoli spears with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast the broccoli in a 425-degree oven for about 20 minutes -- the tops will begin to crisp up and turn brown, creating an amazing crusty texture.
If you have a salty cheese on hand -- Parmigiano-Reggiano, Romano or Asiago -- freshly grate some on top for an added layer of flavor. I assure you, if my mom had roasted broccoli like this growing up, I would have never complained about eating my veggies.
Toss the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste, a drizzle of olive oil and a few cloves of crushed garlic. Spread out the mixture on a roasting pan and pop it in the oven -- it only takes about 5 minutes for the shrimp to turn pink and cook through.
Arrange the broccoli on a large plate and top with the shrimp.
This dish is about as easy as it comes, but to save even more time and effort, buy pre-cut broccoli and peeled and deveined frozen shrimp.
Got any other ideas for Table for One? Leave them in the comments!
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