Lemon-Pepper Shrimp and Zucchini with Carrot and Spinach Rice Pilaf

"Shrimp is the fruit of the sea.  You can barbecue it, boil it, broil  it, bake it, sauté it.  There's, um, shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried.  There's pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich...That's, about it". 
                                                                         ~From the movie Forrest Gump

I came across this yummy recipe in the April 1992 issue of the Good Housekeeping Magazine and have been making it ever since.  There's really two parts and you can make them totally separate from each other, if you desire. 


CARROT AND SPINACH RICE PILAF

1 medium sized carrot
1 small onion
1 tablespoon margarine
3/4 cup regular, long-grain rice
1  14 oz. can chicken broth
1  10 oz. package frozen, chopped spinach

1. Grate carrot and finely chop the onion.  In a 2 quart saucepan over med-high heat, in hot margarine, cook carrot and onion, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to brown.  Add rice and cook, stirring until rice turns golden.
2. Stir in chicken broth, over high heat, heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is done and liquid is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, place frozen spinach in a colander over a bowl in the sink and run warm water over the spinach to thaw.  Squeeze dry.
4. Stir spinach into the rice mixture in the saucepan and heat through.

LEMON-PEPPER SHRIMP AND ZUCCHINI

2 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. shelled, deveined large shrimp
1 1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper
dash of seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Cut zucchini diagonally into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices.  In large skillet over medium high heat, in hot olive oil, cook zucchini, stirring frequently until the zucchini begins to brown and is tender-crisp; with slotted spoon, remove zucchini to bowl.
2. In same skillet over high heat, cook shrimp, lemon-pepper, seasoning salt and salt, stirring until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes.  Return zucchini to skillet.  Serve with or over Carrot and Spinach Rice Pilaf.

 
I took the spinach out early and just let it thaw in the colander.  Make sure you use raw, uncooked shrimp and follow the package directions to thaw, if using frozen shrimp...

I started by making the rice first because it would take longer than cooking the shrimp.  Mince the onions and grate your carrot.  Everything I owned to grate with has been packed away, so I just used a potato peeler to make a version of grated carrots...

Sauté the onions and carrot in margarine until they start to brown...

Add the rice and stir until it's golden, then add the broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes...

In the meantime, the spinach should be thawing...

Before adding the spinach to the rice mixture, squeeze all the excess water out...

Add the spinach to the rice and heat through...

For the shrimp and zucchini, start by slicing the washed zucchini diagonally into 1/4-1/2 inch slices...

Stir fry the zucchini in the hot olive oil until they start to brown and become tender.  Then remove them with a slotted spoon...

Add the raw shrimp, along with all the seasonings...

Cook until the shrimp are thoroughly opaque...

Return the zucchini to the skillet with the shrimp...

If you love shrimp, zucchini and spinach, you will LOVE this recipe...