Eight-year-old Lawrence resident Jasmy Mavilla departs for Washington, D.C., Thursday to have a special meal with first lady Michelle Obama after recently winning a healthy recipe contest that was part of the first lady's Let's Move initiative.

Anyone whose cooking has won them an audience with the first lady may feel like declaring they’re the best cook in their home.

But 8-year-old Jasmy Mavilla, of Lawrence, is more humble than that.

“I don’t know,” she said, smiling shyly at the question.

Jasmy is one of more than 1,500 children from across the country who submitted an original recipe to the “Healthy Lunchtime Challenge,” a contest that’s part of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, which promotes healthy eating for kids.

Jasmy’s “Tangy Veggy Springetty” — a dish of noodles, shrimp, lemon juice and vegetables — was chosen as one of the contest’s 54 winners. On Thursday, she’ll fly to Washington, D.C., with her mother, Sowjanya Seetala, for a Friday dinner with Obama and fellow winners at the White House.

“I feel pretty good about it, and I think it’s going to be cool,” she said about the chance to meet the first lady.

Jasmy, who took an interest in cooking with the help of her mom and her school, at Raintree Montessori, said the dish is one she’s often made around the house. She called it “pretty easy” to make.

An avid watcher of cooking shows, Jasmy’s also become a reliable helper in the kitchen with her mom and in the vegetable garden with her dad, Seetala said. She currently aspires to be an artist and cook when she grows up.

Jasmy said she didn’t really think she would be named a winner until she became one of three finalists from Kansas. But she will be one of the youngest winners at the “Kids’ State Dinner,” according to the contest’s results. Winners range from 8 to 12, and there will be seven other 8-year-olds in attendance.

“We’re very excited about this,” Seetala said.

Tangy Veggy Springetty

Ingredients:

For the Pasta:

• 1 pound of whole-wheat spaghetti or angel hair pasta

• 3 cups of fresh or frozen mixed vegetables

• Parmesan cheese, for garnish

For the Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 pound of 20 count shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

• 1/2 teaspoon of white wine vinegar, optional

• 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, optional

• 1 cup of canned garbanzo beans, optional

Preparation:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until almost al dente, about six minutes. Add in the vegetables and cook about three minutes more. Drain, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid.

• In a large sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are pink, about four minutes. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the shrimp to a separate bowl. Turn the heat to low and add lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and reserved cooking liquid (1/4 cup at a time). Whisk until the sauce is well mixed and reduced by one third.

• Add the pasta to the pan along with the shrimp, lemon zest and garbanzos, if using, and mix to combine. Serve with Parmesan.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Includes 467 calories; 10 grams of fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 32 grams protein.