Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli

Fact: roasting will make just about any vegetable taste good. Over the years, I've come a long way from my picky-eating, vegetable-hating days of childhood. I now love most things green and even crave arugula instead of chocolate sometimes. But broccoli has been slow to win me over. There's just something about the texture and the taste of the veggie that I haven't been able to get around. Until this recipe came into my life. I had never thought to roast broccoli before, but slicked with oil and a slew of seasonings, and set in a hot oven, it was a revelation. In fact, for this recipe, I roasted an entire bunch of broccoli--I believe it must have been about a pound of it. And I ate the entire thing. Yes, you read that correctly. I just couldn't stop, so excited was I by the odd feeling of putting broccoli into my mouth and loving every bite. With shrimp thrown into the picture, and a one-pan clean-up at the end, this just may be a perfect recipe. Serves 4. xo


Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli
From In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, by Melissa Clark
Ingredients:
2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot chili powder
1 pound large wild shrimp, shelled and deveined
Zest from 1 large lemon
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, the coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine the shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Spread the broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp to the baking sheet and toss with the broccoli. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until the shrimp are just opaque and the broccoli is tender and golden around the edges, about 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze the lemon juice all over the shrimp and broccoli just before serving.