Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Orzo and Broccoli

Making this dinner was quite amusing to me.  About halfway through I stopped and realized that this was almost exactly like something we make already just a little more "fancy."  And if anyone was watching us make this dinner I am sure they were laughing at us.  It looked like I was playing "cooking show" and Philip was my student.  I am not so much a fan of seafood...it is growing on me and I am starting to eat more and more but I am still hesitant about it.  So I made my own pan with chicken and Philip did his own with shrimp.  So as we were cooking I just cut everything in half (except the orzo and broccoli...that all was cooked together) and I did half with chicken in my pan and Philip did half with shrimp in his pan.  I was quite impressed with his abilities as the only instruction he was given was "watch me and do what I do" and he did and his turned out.  Normally I wouldn't be so shocked by this.  Philip can hold his own in the kitchen, especially when it comes to breakfast (he makes some killer breakfasts!).  About a week before this dinner Philip took the recipe I had printed for dinner that night and decided he was going to make it by himself.  So as I waited in the other room all I heard was "Oh crap!"..."Ooops that wasn't supposed to happen."..."Oh that says 1 tablespoon...not 1 cup."  And dinner...well...didn't turn out so well.  So to see him cook this meal and cook it well was quite the achievement.

I think next time I would use a whole lemon instead of half and definitely add more garlic.  I am pretty sure next time I will ditch the chicken and just do all shrimp (but don't tell Philip I am starting to like shrimp!).

Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Orzo and Broccoli

Slightly Adapted from Cooking This and That

Makes 2-3 servings

1 cup orzo
1 broccoli crown, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste
scant tablespoon butter
about 1 pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add orzo and cook until al dente, 8-9 minutes. During last 2 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to the pasta water. Drain orzo and broccoli, set aside.

In large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Add lemon juice, zest, and wine/broth to saute pan. Bring to boil and then reduce heat; simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in butter and stir until melted.

Add shrimp to saute pan, cook until pink and cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Add orzo and broccoli, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to shrimp mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.