“Do what I do. Hold tight and pretend it’s a plan!” — The Doctor

For once, I actually had a plan for dinner. I’d rediscovered an old recipe for grilled shrimp, and had been looking forward to it all day. How could I forget there was a storm rolling in? Probably it wasn’t so much forgetting as it was having “pain brain” and not making the connection between the gale building outside and my plans to grill shrimp. Nope, not gonna happen. It was so windy that the flame on the gas grill kept blowing out. Plus, who wants to be outside in that weather with a plate of shrimp? Back to the drawing board.

The shrimp were already thawed, so that was an excellent (and necessary) place to start. Gloppy weather always makes me think of sheet pan suppers, so why not see if I could convert my grill recipe to a sheet pan one? I kept most of the seasonings the same, decreasing the liquid by eliminating the lemon juice and serving wedges of lemon at the table instead. I’ve sometimes had oven-baked shrimp come out a little dry, so I added a quick panko dip to provide a little insulation. Add the broccoli that was going to be roasted anyway, and toss in a leftover chunk of red onion for good measure. It was quick and easy, and it came out delicious!

At under 400 calories per serving, heartier appetites will appreciate some whole grains or fresh bread to go along with it. Or serve for a quick lunch to impress your guest! “Oh, rats, it’s too stormy to grill” to “Dinner’s ready!” took under 30 minutes, and that’s including preheating the oven and several stops along the way to take notes and pictures.

Ingredients:

1 pound (454 g) large shrimp

2 large garlic cloves

knob of ginger

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce

¼ red onion (2½ oz/75 g)

½ cup panko

1 small head broccoli (4.2 oz/120 g)

olive oil spray, or cooking spray (optional)

Preparation:

1.) Preheat the oven to 500º F (260º C). Line a rimmed baking sheet (mine is a half-sheet pan) with foil or parchment. Peel and devein the shrimp. (I often buy mine already prepared, but these were on sale. Couldn’t find my shrimp tool, so I used a small knife. If you do, it’s essential to keep the sharp edge pointed away at all times, in case the knife slips.)

 

2.) Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. You need a tablespoon of each. Place them in a small bowl and add the olive oil and chili garlic sauce; stir to combine.

 

3.) Slice the quartered onion about ½” (1 cm) thick, and arrange the slices in a single layer at one end of the sheet pan. Cut the broccoli into florets, then cut the florets lengthwise. If you just cut the stem of the floret, you can pull the rest apart with your fingers.

 

4.) Toss the broccoli in the garlic mixture, just a light coating. Save most of it for the shrimp.

5.) Arrange the broccoli in a single layer next to the onions. Brush or dab just a bit of the sauce on the onion slices.

6.) Pat the shrimp dry with clean paper towels, then add them to the remaining sauce in the bowl; toss to coat.

7.) Place the panko in a shallow bowl. Firmly press each shrimp into the panko, one side only, then arrange on the sheet pan with the panko side up. Lightly spray the shrimp with olive oil. I like my refillable trigger-spray bottle, but cooking spray will do in a pinch. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through, and panko is golden brown and crispy.

 

8.) Carefully lift the shrimp with a spatula and transfer to a serving plate. Arrange the veggies around the shrimp, and serve with lemon wedges.