shrimp with broccoli and orange

I so badly wanted to have a video to accompany this post to prove that no matter what (well, I suppose there are some exceptions) a quick, easy, healthy, and de-freaking-licious meal can be whipped up in no time. But after arriving home, slightly damp from the spitting sky, I got right into the swing of things and started chopping. I also happened to catch a glance of myself in the mirror after said spitting sky incident and figured we'd all be better off with just a few snapshots of the food. But that's neither here nor there.

I was lucky enough to squeeze a Trader Joe's run in while I was home and picked up a few essentials: frozen shrimp, salmon burgers, thai shrimp dumplings, and a bag of avocados. With a wide variety of dinner options, I found myself drafting then re-drafting grocery list after grocery list. Often, too many options lead to chronic indecisiveness. I suffered.

But soon enough, I'd solidified my list for the produce market: orange, ginger, and broccoli. Oh, and a few Honeycrisp apples found their way into my basket as well for dessert.

As soon as I got home, I started to defrost my shrimp under running cold water (not always recommended but works just fine in a pinch) then chopped up some broccoli florets. Lots of broccoli florets. Into a hot pan went about a teaspoon of olive oil (versus take-out which is LOADED with oil), plenty of fresh grated ginger (intoxicating, sexy, gorg), a grated garlic clove, and the shrimp. Broccoli went in seconds after along with a dash of soy and the juice from a whole orange. I added some sweet chili sauce I had on hand but a dash of chili flakes or sriracha would certainly suffice. A splash of water hit the hot pan and I quickly covered it to start to steam the broccoli and finish cooking the shrimp. Less than 5 minutes later, dinner was ready.

I've said it 428 times and I'll say it again: a well stocked freezer (and pantry) makes cooking so much freaking easier. There are always options. And delicious ones at that when all it takes is a quick stop at the produce market (and wine store, of course) on your way home from work. A fresh, home cooked meal can be ready in minutes making you feel extra proud, particularly productive (leftovers for lunch and/or dinner the next day), and certainly nourished. Body, mind, and soul.