Broccoli, Broccoli, Shrimp, Shrimp

I know, I know. It's been quiet here for over a week now. But I haven't forgotten about you, cross my heart. Just the opposite, in fact. The other day, as I was in the kitchen slicing away, phrases describing the dish popped in my head, all by themselves! =) That's when I realized that this little blog of mine is taking over the way I think and prep. I don't mind it though, not one bit. =)

Anyways, the reason that I have been silent isn't that I stopped cooking. It's just that most of the new dishes I've been making are not exceptional. I didn't want to bore you with something ordinary. Now, on second thought, maybe I should just write about everything. This blog is my journey after all. How can one make remarkable dishes EVERY time? Of course, there will be missteps. But before I go down that route, I have something fabulous for you.

My kids love shrimp. And they absolutely adore broccoli. It's as if Melissa Clark created this recipe just for them. This is quick and easy, and very tasty. The recipe calls for whole coriander and cumin seeds. I didn't have any whole cumin seeds, so I substituted with ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, which worked out very well. The coriander seeds, on the other hand, weren't all that pleasant to bite on. I wish I used ground coriander as well. The flavor would probably be better absorbed too. The 1 ½ teaspoons of salt called for sounds like a LOT of salt. (Sorry, that's by no fault of Miss Clark. I didn't pay enough attention, and missed the crucial word "kosher".) Next time, I think I will reduce it to half. I also got lazy, and didn't zest any lemon. But that doesn't seem to affect the flavor at all. Everybody loved it! With the exception of D - the spices are probably a little much for a 3-year old. The broccoli was wonderful, but some bits got a little burned, so I would probably reduce the roasting time to 8 to 9 minutes as well.

Regardless of these modifications, this recipe is definitely a keeper. In the winter, there is the added benefit for warming up the kitchen with a running oven. =)

Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp
based on this recipe

Serves 4

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (or ¾ teaspoon regular salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon hot chili powder
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon regular salt), ½ teaspoon pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon regular salt) and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper.

Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 8-9 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast for 5 minutes, toss again, flipping over the shrimp. Roast for another 5 minutes until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.