The Memorial Day holiday weekend is upon us… time to ditch the oven and fire up the grill. For the past few days I have been guest blogging in FOOD sharing some of my favorite summertime recipes, most of which can easily be prepared in the great outdoors.
Over the next couple of days millions of families across the country will dust off their grills, drag them out of their garages where they have been hibernating for the winter, and tear open a package of hot dogs or hamburger meat. Both are tasty and traditional options to throw on the grill; however, neither are exactly the healthiest dishes to consume especially if you are planning to squeeze into that belly-baring bikini this summer.
I grew up in Hawaii where grilling is a year-round activity. As such there comes a point when you simply tire of the same ol’ hamburger/hot dog menu. Enter my grandfather’s recipe for grilled shrimp. Not only are shrimp easy to prepare but they also cook up amazingly quick and they are a healthy alternative to sodium packed wieners.
I highly recommend the following shrimp recipe, which by the way, can be prepared well ahead of time so you are not stuck in the kitchen while the rest of your family is frolicking outdoors. When the grill is ready simply pull the shrimp from the refrigerator and let your designated griller do the rest.
HOT AND SPICY SHRIMP STICKS
Ingredients:
24 medium shrimp, shells on, deveined
2 lemons, cut into wedges
8 wooden skewers
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup salad oil
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup honey
Fresh chopped tarragon leaves
Directions:
Combine olive oil, salad oil, tarragon vinegar, garlic, Tabasco sauce, salt, dry mustard, sugar, paprika and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for basting.
Place shrimp in a large Ziploc plastic bag. Add marinade to bag and refrigerate for 4 hours, turning occasionally.
Alternate shrimp and lemon wedges on 8 skewers.
Add 1/3 cup of honey to reserved marinade to create basting sauce.
Place skewers on the grill and baste occasionally as they cook. Cooking time should be about 6-8 minutes (3 to 4 minutes on each side).
Sprinkle with fresh chopped tarragon leaves as garnish.
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