AIP garlic shrimp zucchini boats - hollowed zucchini filled with garlic-lemon shrimp, AIP Core seed-free

Some AIP evenings do not want a big project, they want something that still feels like a real dinner. Hollowing 2 zucchini into little boats with a spoon takes a few extra minutes, and the payoff is a plate that looks like far more work than a hot pan and about 10 to 12 minutes in a 400 F oven actually required.

Shrimp gives you a genuine dose of selenium, the mineral your thyroid runs on to convert its hormones properly, plus real antioxidant work in the background, both worth having on your side while an Autoimmune condition is active. Zinc shows up here too, part of what keeps the gut barrier doing its job and your immune system's signals accurate. If shellfish runs high in histamine for your body and that is something you track, tonight might not be the night for it. If it sits fine, let this be the light, bright dinner it actually is.

A dinner like this rewards a little attention: tear the basil over right at the end, and take a real look at the plate, the green against the shrimp, before your fork goes in.

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice from 1 large lemon
• 8 basil leaves for garnish

Method

Heat the oven to 400 F. Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the centers with a spoon to make boats, leaving a sturdy shell. You can chop the scooped-out flesh and add it to the filling if you like.

Brush the zucchini boats with some of the olive oil and season with salt. Lay them cut side up on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until they begin to soften.

While the boats bake, warm the rest of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for under a minute, just until fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook, turning once, until they curl and turn opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes a side. Pour in the lemon juice, add a pinch of salt, and take the pan off the heat as soon as the shrimp are just cooked through.

Spoon the garlic-lemon shrimp into the softened zucchini boats. Return the filled boats to the oven for about 5 minutes to warm everything together. Tear the basil leaves over the top to serve.

Air fryer variation

Air fry the oiled, salted zucchini boats at 380 F for about 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. Saute the shrimp on the stovetop as above, fill the boats, then return them to the air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes to warm through. Air fryer models vary, so treat these times as a starting point and watch the zucchini so it does not collapse.

*Adapted from gutsybynature.com*