Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry Recipe for a Lighter You
How to Make Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry: A Healthy Side Dish for Your Diet
Hello everyone, this is Luna, working on my weight management journey! It’s every parent’s wish to feed their family the healthiest food possible. As I pondered what to cook today, I thought of a refreshing vegetable dish. Broccoli is a vegetable I often reach for because it’s easy to prepare and packed with nutrients. Broccoli boasts an array of benefits, including preventing stomach cancer, aiding in weight loss, boosting immunity, and helping to expel fine dust. Shall we make a delicious side dish with broccoli and shrimp, which is both tasty and good for your health?
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli
- 10 frozen shrimp
- 7 cloves of garlic
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of black pepper
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
The broccoli, resembling a tree, can be a bit daunting to prepare for the first time. First, cut the broccoli stem in half. Then, gently break off the florets one by one. If any florets are too large, you can cut them in half with a knife to make them a more manageable size. Don’t discard the broccoli stem! The stem is packed with nutrients like Vitamin C and sulforaphane. You can peel the tough outer skin and use it in your cooking.
Step 2
Soak the prepared broccoli in water for at least 10 minutes to wash it thoroughly. Now, we’ll blanch the broccoli. Be aware that cooking broccoli at high temperatures for more than 3 minutes can reduce its key nutrient, sulforaphane, to about 1/10th of its original amount. To preserve these precious nutrients, blanch the broccoli in boiling water for no more than 1 minute. Immediately remove it and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly in a colander. While the broccoli is draining, let’s prepare the other ingredients.
Step 3
Frozen shrimp will thaw quickly when placed in water. Once thawed, rinse the shrimp, remove the tails, and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Leaving excess water can affect the flavor when stir-frying, so drying them thoroughly is key.
Step 4
Wash the whole garlic cloves and pat them dry. Trim off the hard ends and slice them thinly into ‘pinwheels’ or thin slices. Slicing the garlic this way will release its aromatic flavor more effectively.
Step 5
Let’s start stir-frying! Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat and add the sliced garlic. Broccoli is rich in Vitamin C, and when cooked with oil, it helps with the absorption of Vitamin A. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add the thawed shrimp and stir-fry together. As the shrimp begin to turn pink, sprinkle in a pinch of black pepper for added aroma.
Step 6
A quick tip here: Since the broccoli has already been blanched, you only need to cook until the shrimp are fully done. From this point on, you’ll need to work quickly! Once the shrimp are cooked, add the blanched broccoli and stir-fry them together.
Step 7
Toss everything quickly and thoroughly to coat evenly with the oyster sauce. It’s important to turn off the heat swiftly to prevent burning! Transfer the finished shrimp and broccoli stir-fry to a plate immediately and enjoy it while it’s warm. The combination of crunchy broccoli and plump shrimp is truly delightful.
