Carrot and Lemon Risotto with Roasted Shrimp

I love when I make separate dishes that just happen to go together very well. I had some leftover carrot and lemon risotto and oven roasted shrimp from Easter and they went perfectly together for my dinner last night. 

After everything I ate on Easter, I decided to ask for a Fitbit, instead of candy, for my Easter present from my parents this year. I have been wanting a Fitbit for a while now and I figured this was the perfect way to work off my Easter meal and make sure I'm moving enough during the day.

I took a Turbokick class and ran 2 miles on the treadmill yesterday and this was my total number of steps by noon time! I couldn't believe that just in a couple of hours I had already taken that many steps. I'm sure I'll be obsessing over my number of steps for the next few days at least.

Now back to this amazing and simple meal. Risotto is a lot easier to make than most people think. I have said before that it is time consuming and your arm will be burning a little bit by the time it's done, but it's so worth the time and arm workout!

This risotto dish is delicious, simple and healthy. It has nutrients from the carrot juice, the starch comes from the arborio and the shrimp are a great high protein and low calorie addition. The risotto and shrimp both also hold up well for a few days so you can enjoy them as leftovers, either separate or together. Enjoy!

Carrot and Lemon Risotto with Roasted Shrimp

(risotto recipe from: http://www.marthastewart.com/)

(roasted shrimp recipe from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1 shallot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup carrot juice

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper, to taste

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Pour the chicken broth into a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
2. In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat and saute the shallot and garlic for about 3 minutes. Stir in the arborio rice and saute for 1-2 minutes, just until the rice is lightly toasted. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and stir until the wine has evaporated.
3. In 1/4 cup intervals, stir the chicken broth into the rice and continue to stir until each 1/4 cup has mostly evaporated. You have to continually stir the risotto in order for it to not stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. After you have used all of the chicken broth, stir in the carrot juice and stir until it is incorporated into the risotto. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice pepper and salt. Cover to keep warm while the shrimp roasts.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°.
6. Mix together the shrimp, olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
7. Spoon some of the risotto into a bowl and top with some of the shrimp. Enjoy!