Rainbow Veggies with Shrimp

Rainbow Veggies with Shrimp

Rainbow Veggies with Shrimp

Bright, colorful vegetables are so flavorful.  Combine them with lemony shrimp and cooked quinoa, and you have a quick, healthy meal.  The best part about veggies with shrimp is that it is customizable.  You can use any vegetables you want or have in your kitchen.  My combination is below!

If you want my tricks for cooking shrimp, keep reading!  If not, jump to the recipe below!

Shrimp Tricks:  I buy my shrimp frozen at Costco.  They are cheaper per pound, and I just keep them in my freezer.  An hour before I need them, I pour a handful or two into a bowl full of cold water and stick them in the fridge.  Then I rinse them a couple times in cold water and place them on a plate covered in paper towels.  Using a different paper towel, I pat them dry and then season them!

Shrimp cook really fast!  When I cook them on the stove, I watch them carefully.  On the first side, I watch as the bottom changes from gray to pink.  Once they are pink halfway up the shrimp, that is when I flip them.  This usually only takes a minute or two.  Then I cook them the same amount of time on the other side.  Then you are done!  Fast!


Rainbow Veggies with Shrimp Recipe 

Ingredients:

• 4 carrots cut into 1 inch (ish) cubes (I used the rainbow carrots from the box)
• 1 bell pepper cut into thin strips (I used yellow but choose your favorite)
• 1 pint of cherry/grape tomatoes
• 1/2 red onion diced or cut into thin strips
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1-2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1-2 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 lb. raw shrimp
• 1 clove garlic minced (you could also use a sprinkle of garlic salt instead)
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Quinoa for serving

Directions:

1. In a medium-large pan, heat 1-2 Tbs. of olive oil over medium heat.  
2. Into the oil, add red pepper flakes, and a dash of salt and pepper.  
3. Add chopped carrots and stir, making sure the carrots do not burn.  Let carrots cook for 1-2 minutes.  
4. Add the bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and minced garlic to carrots.  Then add the juice of 1 lemon.  Cook until tomatoes are just starting to burst, stirring occasionally, so the veggies do not burn (about 5ish minutes).  
5. While veggies are cooking, place raw shrimp on a paper towel and pat dry.  Sprinkle the shrimp with garlic salt, pepper, and lemon zest. (You will add these to the pan once the veggies are finished cooking.)
6. Once the tomatoes are just starting to burst, place the veggies in a large bowl and set aside.  Cover with tin foil to keep warm.
7. In the same pan over medium heat, melt 1-2 Tbs. of butter.  
8. Once butter is melted and heated through, add shrimp one by one, making sure they do not touch each other.  Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the shrimp has turned pink halfway up the shrimp. 
9. Flip the shrimp and cook the same amount of time on the other side until the shrimp are completely pink. About 1-2 minutes.
10. Serve the veggies and shrimp over cooked quinoa.  Enjoy!