Quick and easy sheet pan meal! Perfectly roasted shrimp and cauliflower tossed with a bright and tangy Meyer lemon salsa. Dinner is done in 13 minutes! Paleo, gluten-free, healthy!
We are having a rare warm spell in NYC, it is absolutely glorious. Penelope (my pup, in case you are new here) and I were footloose and fancy-free in the park this morning practically skipping with joy in the sunshine.
Skipping so much in fact that both of us failed to notice the park police lumbering our way. Expletive, I thought, as they approached with a “Ma'am, do you have a leash for that dog?”
That dog? Ugh, I hated him already. Yes, it was after off-leash hours, yes, I should have had P on a leash but it's 60 degrees outside in February! and we are SKIPPING! That's what I wanted to say to the cop, but he had no sense of humor. Like none. Not even a little smile or nod when I tried to crack a, “do you need to read Penelope her Miranda rights?” joke.
A $100 fine later… we lost a little bit of our skip. More due to the cop with no personality than the ticket. I took a mugshot of P to commemorate the day.
Then to cheer us both up I got in the kitchen and whipped up something special. Super special.
One of the upsides to winter is the abundance of citrus, more accurately, the abundance of Meyer lemon. I become a bit crazed when they first appear in the markets, buying as many as I can, trying to savor the short but glorious season.
Meyer lemons, if you've never had them, are a cross between a lemon and a tangerine. They make literally every single dish 1000% better. I use them squeezed into dressings, or soups, or on top of sauteed greens. My very very very favorite way to treat a Meyer lemon is to use the entire fruit, skin and all, in a salsa. Meyer lemon, fresh parsley, shallot, capers, and crushed red pepper (or fresh chilis) combine to make the brightest, happiest condiment. So happy-making, you'll forget that your dog just got a $100 ticket.
I whipped up this salsa (takes about 3 minutes) while I roasted cauliflower and shrimp on a sheet pan. So easy. I tossed the shrimp and cauliflower in olive oil, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and Meyer lemon juice with just a pinch of crushed red pepper. 13 minutes later, fresh out of the oven, I topped the perfectly roasted shrimp and cauliflower with my salsa.
A quick pause to learn this crazy easy method for perfectly roasted shrimp.
How to Perfectly Roast Shrimp
- Purchase wild caught shrimp (MUST), quality makes a huge difference here.
- Peel and devein shrimp. You can buy already peeled and deveined, I won't tell.
- Toss shrimp in olive oil, and any spice blend you like. Just make sure you have at least 1 tbsp olive oil per pound of shrimp.
- Layout in a single layer on a sheet tray.
- Roast in a 400° oven for 8-1o minutes or until pink and curled. 8 minutes seems to work every time for me unless the shrimp are extra big.
- Revel in the perfection.
Heaven.
This dish is heaven.
I shared some shrimp with Penelope (I rinsed the garlic off), she had a tough day and needed a little treat. I put the leftovers in the fridge for lunch during the week. This would make an INCREDIBLE meal prep bowl!
So the lesson today was how to turn lemons into a Meyer lemon salsa and forget about a jerky cop and that you are $100 poorer 😉
Also… it just occurred to me I've only received 2 tickets/citations in my entire life. Never for driving (although I've been pulled over plenty) but once for fishing, and now once for dog walking. I'm sure there is a lesson in there somewhere, but for now, I'm just going to sneak a few more bites of that Meyer lemon salsa and snuggle my jailbird pup.
xxxx
Sheet Pan Roasted Shrimp and Cauliflower with a Meyer Lemon Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 lb. shrimp
- 1 head cauliflower about 4 cups florets
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp meyer lemon zest
Meyer Lemon Salsa
- 1 meyer lemon
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp meyer lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Prepare cauliflower by cutting in half and then slicing through the head lengthwise making 1/2″ thick slices of cauliflower (as you would if you were making cauliflower steaks)
- Toss cauliflower with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 tsp lemon zest.
- Lay in a single layer on sheet tray. Roast for 5 minutes
- Prepare shrimp by tossing with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 tsp lemon zest, and a 1/4 tsp sea salt.
- Remove cauliflower from oven after 5 minutes push to the side and add shrimp to the same sheet tray, making sure shrimp is in a single layer. Return to oven for an additional 8 minutes.
Meyer Lemon Salsa
- While shrimp and cauliflower are cooking prepare Meyer lemon salsa by dicing your Meyer lemon (SKIN ON) and tossing together with all remaining ingredients
- Toss shrimp and cauliflower with salsa. Eat immediately or reserve in fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- You will want to cut your cauliflower fairly thin, not in large florets, 1/2″ thick worked perfectly for me with the cook times listed. If your cauliflower is larger you'll want to add more cooking time. The end result should be well roasted, browned and tender cauliflower.
- If you can't find Meyer lemon you can substitute one small tangerine or mandarin orange and lemon juice. I wouldn't use a regular lemon, it will be too tart
- Since you are using the peel of the Meyer lemon it's best to buy organic. If you can't find organic, be sure to wash the Meyer lemon well.
- At less than 1g carbohydrate per serving this is an excellent choice if you are on a low carbohydrate protocol
Nutrition
More 20 Minute Meal Inspiration:
Greek Kale and Quinoa Salad Meal Prep Bowls
Creamy Lemon Pasta (Vegan)
Southwestern Sweet Potato Skillet
