Shrimp on the Barbie!?!?
After a 2 month hiatus, I'm back!
I haven't stopped cooking, I just haven't really been inspired to write a blog. Until now.
This blog is dedicated to all of my Aussie friends!
I've been lucky enough to visit Australia and actually considered moving there at one point.
It's by far one of my favorites places on the planet and the people are pretty kick ass as well!
So, here's to you Belinda, Kim, Dita and all of my favorite people down under!
Oh, and let's not forget my 2 favorite Kiwis from New Zealand, Dene and Gavin!
Ok, let's start with a "Shrimp on the Barbie" explanation.
No, there was no BBQing in the below zero temps last night. I'm from Southern California and I am NOT a fan of NYC winters. I avoid the out-of-doors at all cost during this time of year. I wanna be in Australia where it's summer right now!
Thank goodness for grill pans because, although you may not achieve that perfect, outdoor grilled taste, the grill pan still gives you that lovely, charred appearance and texture.
As I've learned to cook over the last couple of years, I've determined that my biggest flaw is timing.
I simply suck at it. If a meal I'm making contains several components, more often than not, one dish will be fully prepped, cooked and ready to eat while I'm still waiting for the damned water to boil for a side dish!
Timing is like math for me, my brain shuts down and flips the whole process the middle finger!
Last night I made pan grilled chipotle shrimp with grilled pineapple rings served over brown rice with a simple salad with homemade pineapple dressing.
The good news is: I own 2 grill pans. Pineapple and shrimp take approximately the same amount of time to grill.
The bad news: I sometimes suck at rice. I follow the direcetions on the label (in this case, Texmati brown rice) and I STILL manage to burn it almost every time. Last night I decided to cut back on the cooking time to avoid this, but I cut back a little too far and it wasn't ready for the shrimp and pineapple!
Luckily, I bought the ready to eat, mixed spring greens, in the bag salad, or I would have been extra special screwed!
My boyfriend set the table as I was running around like a crazy lunatic, trying to finish everything up and plate the food!
By the time we finally sat down to eat, the shrimp was completely cold and I seriously came close to tears.
Soooooo, what you see in the photo above, is my boyfriend's brilliant idea to heat up the shrimp, so we could start eating before the rest of the meal got cold.
Not only did it work placing the shrimp skewers over the candles work, it was really funny!
I started giggling and all of my frustration and anxiety melted away.
Andy saved the day. Best. Boyfriend. Ever.
I just wish I would have taken a little more time to plate, so you could see the nice grill marked, pineapple rings in the photo.
So, without further adieu, my version of Shrimp on the Barbie!
Ingredients:
6-8 ounces Uncooked Fresh or Frozen Shrimp, peeled and deveined - I used frozen
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
1 Lemon, juiced
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Paprika
1 tablepoon Fresh Cilantro, or more to taste
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
4 Pineapple Slices
1 Tbs. Butter
A few dashes of Balsamic Vinegar
Rice, cooked
Soaked Bamboo, or Metal, Skewers*
Method:
Peel, clean and devein shrimp. If using frozen, thaw and peel.
In a food processor or blender combine the garlic, chipotle peppers, lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, cilantro, kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. In a large bowl or plastic bag place the cleaned shrimp. Pour the marinade over the shrimp, and mix well to thoroughly coat. Marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. I did mine for an hour.
Soak bamboo skewers in water, so they don’t burn on the grill.
Melt butter and combine with balsamic vinegar
Brush butter mixture on both sides of the pineapple
Spray grill pans lighty with cooking spray. If you only have one pan, grill the pineapple first and then the shrimp. Clearly you can also use an outdoor grill.
Remove the shrimp from the marinade, and discard the excess. Thread about 6 shrimp per skewer, and grill on the preheated medium-high grill until the shrimp turn pink and opaque in the center, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Serve on top of grilled pineapple and your favorite rice!
Super Simple Pineapple Salad Dressing
1/4 cup Pineapple Juice
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Combine pineapple juice, red wine vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a lidded jar or cruet.
Cover and shake well. Serve over salad and if you'd like, mix some into your rice with a little low sodium soy sauce.
*SIDENOTE*
To avoid becoming a batshit crazy lunatic like yours truly, make sure your rice is done and your salad plated before you even think about putting the "Shrimp on the Barbie"!
