Lemony -Garlic Shrimp with Vegetables

This delicious dish adapted from EatingWell is the perfect spring meal.  Shrimp and veggies in a generous amount of lemon-garlic sauce....perfect served over rice or even angel hair pasta.  The lemon and the garlic flavors compliment each other perfectly and work well with the fresh asparagus, the red pepper and the shrimp.   I only wish I would have had some garlic bread in the freezer, as it would have been the perfect partner for this meal.  If you aren't a fan of shrimp, I think this dish would be equally as delicious made with  boneless, skinless chicken  breasts too!  If you don't like asparagus, you could substitute green beans!  It is a very versatile recipe!

Don't skimp on the garlic in this dish...it really makes the sauce flavorful.  I used to think the jarred preminced garlic was just as good as the fresh stuff straight from the head...but I was mistaken.   Don't get me wrong, the preminced jarred garlic has it's place.  It gets rid of the nasty peeling and chopping and doesn't make your hands smell for days....and it perfect for dishes that just need a bit of garlic for flavor.  But in dishes where garlic is one of the main flavors...opt for the fresh stuff.  You will be glad you did. 

Lemony-Garlic Shrimp with Vegetables adapted from EatingWell

Servings - 4   Serving Size - 1/4th of recipe + 1 cup rice or pasta   Points Plus per svg - 9 points+  ( for lemon-garlic shrimp with vegetables alone 4 points+)

Nutritional information for Lemony-Garlic Shrimp with Vegetables and NO rice or pasta - Calories - 181.7,   Total Fat - 5.3g,   Carb. - 8.4g,   Protein - 24.6g,   Fiber - 1.8g

Ingredients: 

Cooking spray or misto

2 large red bell peppers, large diced or sliced

2 pounds of fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1- inch lengths

zest of one medium sized lemon

salt and pepper, as desired for vegetables

1/4 tsp. salt

1 shallot, minced

5 cloves garlic, roughly minced

1 pound raw shrimp, ( 26 -30 count per pound ), peeled and deveined

1 cup low or no  fat, reduced sodium chicken broth

2 tsp. cornstarch

juice of one medium lemon

1 TBS. unsalted butter

1 TBS. fresh chopped parsley

Directions: 

1.  Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray or misto and cook the peppers, asparagus, and the lemon zest on med heat until crisp tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper as they cook.  When done, remove to a bowl, cover and keep warm.  

2.  Spray the skillet again, and add the garlic and the shallots, cook about 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Add shrimp and cook for about another minute or so, until it begins to get pink.  Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and add to hot pan along with 1/4 tsp. salt.  Cook, stirring until the sauce thickens and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and swirl in butter until it is melted.  Mix reserved vegetables back into skillet. Top with parsley.  Serve immediately.  

PRINTABLE RECIPE

We really enjoyed this dish.   Even though the weather has not been a great example of spring around here ( it's been sunny but wayyyyyy cold) this really is the perfect spring meal.  Asparagus and lemon are two ingredients that immediately make me think spring!  I used the small asparagus spears because they were on special at my store last week.  They were so tender.  What ingredients or dishes make you think spring?  

This post has been linked to Tasty Tuesdays

Looking for more shrimp dishes?  Try these: 
Shrimp Fra Diavolo from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch 
Vietnamese Style Shrimp Lettuce Wraps from Kitchen Dreaming