Cooked shrimp needs almost no time in the pan, just enough heat to warm through and marry with a garlic butter. Serve this over rice to stretch a handful into a proper dinner and catch every drop of sauce.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 610 calories a serving, 30 g protein, 80 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a pot, add 1 cup rice and a pinch of salt, then lower the heat, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes.18 min
2. While the rice cooks, mince 3 cloves garlic and set aside.
3. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the minced garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add half a pound of cooked shrimp, a pinch of salt, and a grind of pepper, then toss gently until the shrimp is warm throughout, about 2 minutes.2 min
5. Squeeze juice from half a lemon over the shrimp, taste, and adjust salt and pepper.
6. Divide the rice between two bowls and top each with the shrimp and its butter sauce.

Note Swap the rice for pasta or warm bread if you prefer. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days; reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water. Serve with a simple green salad or steamed greens on the side.

Five or six shrimp tossed in hot oil and garlic, then finished with pasta and lemon. They cook in moments, so you need a hot pan and your attention; this is the weeknight supper that tastes like you tried harder than you did.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 740 calories a serving, 62 g protein, 70 g carbohydrate, 24 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 6 ounces of pasta until al dente, about nine minutes; drain and set aside, reserving one quarter cup of the cooking water.9 min
2. While the pasta cooks, mince 4 cloves of garlic. Pat 5 or 6 raw shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
3. Set a skillet over high heat until it is hot, then add 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the shrimp and cook without stirring for two minutes, until the bottoms are pink, then turn and cook another minute until opaque throughout.3 min
4. Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for thirty seconds until fragrant, then add the cooked pasta and the reserved cooking water. Toss to combine, season with salt and pepper, and divide between two bowls.
5. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice over each bowl to taste.

Note Swap dried red pepper flakes for black pepper if you like heat. Leftovers keep in the fridge for one day; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or bitter greens to balance the richness.

Shrimp cooks in minutes, so this weeknight dinner gets from fridge to table fast. Half a pound feeds two when you build it on rice and finish with garlic oil.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 630 calories a serving, 30 g protein, 76 g carbohydrate, 22 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a pot, add 1 cup of rice and 1 teaspoon of salt, stir, cover, and reduce heat to low; cook until the water is absorbed, about 18 minutes.18 min
2. While the rice cooks, slice 4 cloves of garlic thin. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
3. Add the garlic to the oil and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add 8 ounces of shrimp, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper.
4. Cook the shrimp, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes until they turn pink and opaque throughout; taste and adjust salt and pepper.4 min

Note Swap shrimp for white fish fillets cut into chunks, cooking for 5 minutes. Leftovers keep two days; reheat gently. Serve over the rice with lemon wedges if you have them, or a side salad.