Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Grilled Ginger-Lime Shrimp: Local Foods for The Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club


It's time to share another Cooking Light recipe with The Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club.  This month the theme is 100 Miles of Flavor.  Each of us had to find a food ingredient that is locally made or grown within 100 miles of where we live.  At first, I couldn't think of any locally grown food within 100 miles of where I live, which is Pensacola, FL.  I kept thinking of Georgia corn or Alabama peaches.  But those food items aren't in season right now.  Then I had one of those "duh" moments.  Pensacola lies on the Gulf of Mexico.  Local seafood.  Right here in my own "backyard".  


We eat seafood once or twice a week.  We love seafood and are very lucky that we have a fantastic seafood market here (Joe Patti's Seafood) that gets a variety of fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico as well all over the world.  I chose shrimp as my local ingredient.  There is nothing like Gulf Shrimp.  When the BP Oil Spill hit this region last summer, it was devastating.  I could go on and on about the oil spill and what it did to our waters, sea life, beaches, economy and our lifestyle here and to our nearby cities but I won't get into that discussion now.  I'm happy to see that our beaches and waters are coming back and I'm starting to see Gulf of Mexico shrimp back at Joe Patti's.  They are also still getting shrimp from the East Coast as well as other safe areas.  


If you like grilled shrimp, you will love this recipe.  You marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes in a mixture of cilantro, ginger, lime juice, garlic, jalepeno pepper and a few other ingredients.  Place them on skewers and grill for 5 minutes or so until done.  The shrimp had a wonderful flavor to it.  It was a great way to showcase my local food - Gulf of Mexico Shrimp!        





Grilled Ginger-Lime Shrimp
Recipe by Cooking Light
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 skewers)

Ingredients


  • 1/2  cup  fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4  cup  thinly sliced green onions
  • 2  tablespoons  chopped peeled fresh ginger
  • 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
  • 1  tablespoon  canola oil
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/2  teaspoon  dark sesame oil
  • 4  garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1  jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 1/2  pounds  large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 32 shrimp)
  • Cooking spray

Preparation


1. Combine the first 9 ingredients in a food processor, and process until coarsely chopped.
2. Combine cilantro mixture and shrimp in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake well. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Prepare grill.
4. Remove shrimp from bag; discard marinade. Thread 4 shrimp on each of 8 (8-inch) skewers. Place shrimp skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes or until done, turning once.


What other local foods were brought to the dinner table this month?

Check out the links and menu below.


Jamie (me) - Grilled Ginger-Lime Shrimp
Mary Ann (Meet Me in the Kitchen) - Mixed Greens with Blueberry Vinaigrette
Sandi (Whistlestop Cafe Cooking) - Peas and Orzo with Pesto
Jerry (Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants) - Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom-Red Wine Sauce
Roz (La Bella Vita) - Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Marscapone Cheese
Val (More Than Burnt Toast) - Fallen Chocolate Cake with Cherry Red Wine Sauce



Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson: When using wooden skewers to grill your seafood, meats and vegetables, don't forget to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes.  This will prevent them from burning and catching on fire.    


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9 comments:

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I am happy to hear that the economy and the natural reserves are healing Jamie after the oil spill. This dish is the perfect way to celebrate. Thank you so much for turning us on to this recipe for the Virtual Supper Club.

Mary Ann said...

These shrimp skewers look so great. My family loves seafood, especially shrimp so this would for sure be a hit over here. Great recipe!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I'll have to try this dish. We would love it here.

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

Jamie~ I can vouch for those beautiful gulf waters. I think I ate a years worth of shrimp and oysters this weekend.
This recipe looks like a keeper for sure. I am wishing I had brought some back from Joe Patti's.

Anonymous said...

WOW - these look so good. one of these days I shall have to get my BBQ hooked back up . . . given that it will soon be grilling weather here I had better get busy.

What a great way to feature such a wonderful local product.

Shelby said...

I think you know I love shrimp! lol. This recipe sounds great, love the flavors!

Aggie said...

Love everything about this Jamie! Especially love that the shrimp are from Joe Patti's! You know what a crush I have on JP! :)

Anonymous said...

this sounds delicious ! i printed the recipe and plan to make it , soon :)

Laura Everett said...

the anonymous comment was from me , Jamie . yummy looking recipe !

 
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