Shrimp scampi, the kind that comes together before you have set the table

The dinners that actually get made on a full week are the fast ones, with a handful of ingredients and no special trip to the store. Garlic softened in good olive oil, shrimp turned just until pink, a little broth, a squeeze of lemon, a scatter of parsley: 20 minutes, start to plate, on a night when that is exactly what you have to give.

There is real nourishment in that simplicity. Shrimp is a source of selenium and iodine, 2 minerals your thyroid relies on to do its work, and the thyroid is so often the casualty of Autoimmunity, not the culprit. The olive oil carries fat-soluble nourishment and makes the dish satisfying enough to feel like a full meal.

Shrimp deserves a little reverence too. These are animals that lived in the sea, and a clean, wild-caught source honors both the creature and your body. Cook them with attention. They are done the moment they curl and turn opaque, and a minute past that they toughen. Stay close, and let the smell of garlic in warm oil pull you to the table.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (for low-FODMAP, see the variation below)
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled
• 1/3 cup chicken broth (this stands in for the white wine of the classic version; alcohol omitted for AIP)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (omit if you are managing interstitial cystitis)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Red pepper flakes from the original are a nightshade, so they are left out for AIP. The dish does not need them.

Method

Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and let it cook gently for about five minutes, just until fragrant and soft. Do not let it brown or it turns bitter.

Raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp. Cook for about five minutes, turning once, until they are pink and opaque all the way through.

Pour in the broth and let it bubble for a moment to pull up the garlic and warm through. Finish with the lemon juice if you are using it.

Take the pan off the heat, shower the parsley over the top, and serve right away while it is hot.

Low-FODMAP variation

Skip the minced garlic cloves. Instead, warm the olive oil with the garlic infusing into it, then strain out and discard every bit of solid garlic before you add the shrimp. The oil carries the flavor without the FODMAPs that solid garlic brings.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*