Our local store had a special on jumbo shrimp recently (thanks to my neighbour Joyce for the intel), so I made sure we scored a huge bag for the week's menu. I'm a massive seafood lover and I especially love shrimp. They're low on calories (one jumbo shrimp is about 14 calories), a great source of protein (for about 3 ounces of baked or broiled shrimp, you can get up to 20g of protein--just a little less than 3 ounces of chicken breast), contains very little carbohydrates and fat. Lastly, shrimp contain over 75% of the RDA (recommended daily allowance) for Vitamin B12.
I like to cook fresh, hot meals for my boys for every meal time. Granted, we'll have leftovers, but they'll at least be leftovers from the hot lunch I cooked that day. I usually do my mise en place in the morning (I practice Intermittent Fasting which allows me to skip breakfast and instead focus on prepping for the day's lunch menu) while I multi task drinking coffee and homeschooling my 7-year old. It's not easy but it's very satisfying for my soul to feel like a well-oiled machine that can get several jobs done.
I think we (it's really mostly just me) have gotten a little tired of the steaks lately so I figured some seafood would be a refreshing change. This recipe is so easy and delicious and doesn't require much ingredients. I decided to do a garlic butter sauce because it works well for our keto lifestyle and really lends itself well to shellfish and crustaceans (shrimp and crab are crustacean). I paired the shrimp with some bok choy and mushroom pan-sauteed in sesame oil for the added nutrients. I make sure our meals always have vegetables to help us get our micronutrients in. Bok choy is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as magnesium, potassium, calcium, and iron. It's a powerhouse vegetable whose heavyweight is found in its nutrient value more so than it's caloric equivalent. 3.5 ounces of raw bok choy is only 13 calories and 1g of net Carbs.
Okay I'll stop nerding out on bok choy now. Below are what you'll need to get this dish together.
INGREDIENTS:
20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 tablespoon baking soda
4 cups raw bok choy, washed and chopped into bite-size pieces
1/3 c unsalted, grass-fed butter
1/2 cup crimini mushroom, chopped into smaller pieces
1/4 tsp sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper for seasoning
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl, once shrimp are deveined and peeled, sprinkle it with baking soda and toss well to coat all the shrimp. Baking soda adds a crispness and snappiness to the shrimp that helps it cook well and absorb flavours.
You'll need two skillets--one for the shrimp, and the other for the bok choy.
In the bigger skillet and over medium heat, put 2 tablespoons of the butter and heat it up. Once butter and skillet are hot enough, cook the garlic until it's fragrant. Don't brown the garlic or you'll burn it and the dish will come out slightly bitter. Toss in the shrimp and fry each side for about 2 minutes until it's just about to turn pink. Add the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Lastly mix in the juice of half a lemon. Once cooked, remove from heat to prevent overcooking and making the shrimp tough and gummy. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
In another skillet, heat up the sesame oil. Cook the bok choy and mushroom for about 5-6 minutes and season with salt and pepper. You may also sprinkle with some garlic powder for added flavour. Squeeze a little bit of lemon at the last minute to brighten up the flavour.
Serve together while nice and hot.
Now, I didn't include this in the recipe, but I decided to serve this with a half cup of Better Than Rice "rice." It's a rice substitute made of konjac oat fiber. It contains 4g of Carbs per serving and 4g grams of Dietary Fiber--making it virtually carb-free. I had it leftover from my rice and corned beef breakfast the day before. It felt good thinking I was having rice with my delicious seafood and vegetable meal. This hearty, nutritious, yet low-calorie and low-carb meal made me feel like I was back in Asia.
363 calories
47.5g Protein
16.2g Fat
1.2g net Carbs