After working for what felt like ages on my most recent Pelmeni post, I am excited to get back to regularly scheduled programming. That recipe took a very long time but I had to keep reminding myself about quality vs. quantity. And even though I wholeheartedly agree with that and try to live by it, I did miss the thrill of hitting that “Publish” button.
To go straight to the recipe for Creamy Lemon Garlic Shrimp, click here.
A case for home cooking
My husband and I are currently exploring the carnivore diet (you can read more about it here if you are interested). If you are about to give out a big “UGH” and prepare for my lecturing on diets and such, take a deep breath. I find that topic so… boring. I love food, but I find nutrition very dull and I engage with its theories only enough to guide me in my “what to cook/what to eat” decisions.
Wherever you are on the diet spectrum, my only hope is that you cook your food, be it keto, paleo, or carnivore. I truly believe that homemade food will beat any other food in health benefit, and not just nutritionally – it’s a healthy thing to do for your mind also. If you are cooking, you’re probably not on Instagram getting bombarded with messages about the way you (your house/family/vacation/job) should look like but doesn’t. Or doing something similarly draining.
(I have been off of Instagram for several months now and it has been of the biggest improvements in my life.)
Instead, you are nurturing yourself, your body, and your mind by engaging in something that nourishes you, heals you, and allows your mind to be busy enough to feel engaged, and your hands busy enough to feel productive.
“Home cooking allows your mind to be busy enough to feel engaged, and your hands busy enough to feel productive”
Now, that is it for the impromptu case for the Benefits of Home Cooking. I guess I did end up lecturing you on diets – my bad. But if I succeeded in encouraging you to whip up a meal – I am happy to have risked your attention!
Notes about the recipe
Shrimp
For this recipe, get the best shrimp you can afford. I love shrimp but I prefer to cook it as a compliment to some other fat/protein source. This dish also makes an excellent base for pasta. Or, if you are a carnivore, like us, it is a light meal on its own.
Creamy lemon garlic sauce
I have been cooking with ghee for a few months now and I love it. Mainly because it allows you to sear food a lot better since it doesn’t have sugar solids in it. You can make it yourself or buy it in the store.
I use it as a base for this sauce to sear shrimp at a higher temperature and then cook garlic in it, followed by lemon zest, lemon juice, and heavy cream.
Creamy Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh (or thawed) shrimp peeled, deveined, tail off
- 1/2 lemon, juice + zest
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 Tb ghee
- 1 C heavy cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- chopped greens of your choice for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat ghee in a stainless steel or non-stick pan until hot over medium heat.
- Season shrimp lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cook shrimp in a hot skillet for about 6 minutes turning occasionally, until cooked through.
- Transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside.
- Add garlic and cook until golden brown.
- Add lemon juice and lemon zest and stir well.
- Cook garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest for a couple of minutes stirring continuously.
- Add heavy cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Simmer until thickened and add shrimp.
- *The sauce will thicken up as it cools so if you are adding pasta, add it together with shrimp.
- Serve topped with greens and extra black pepper. Enjoy!