Summertime Grilled Shrimp with Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa over Basmati Rice

     Realizing that it has been ages since I have posted to this wonderful creation, I knew that I would have to show up again with something spectacular.  As a tribute to the backbone of our blog, Melissa, Danielle and I created a dish that SCREAMS Summertime!  Welcome to the wonderful world of the Summertime Grill!

     Here is what you will need:  (This can make four servings but, it only made two for us.)

1 Pound of Shrimp (Peeled and de-veined)
1 Avocado
1 Lime
2 Ears of Sweet Corn
1 Cup of Basmati Rice
Kosher Salt (On Shrimp, and Salsa, to Taste)
Fresh Cracked Pepper (On Shrimp, to Taste)
Onion Powder (On Shrimp, to Taste)
Garlic Powder (On Shrimp, to Taste)

     And here is what you will do!

Grill the corn first, cooking until you get some nice intermittent charring and remove.  Let the corn cool and cut the kernels off, placing in a bowl.

Dice the avocado, mix with the corn, squeeze half of the lime over the salsa and add a pinch of kosher salt.

Season the shrimp with kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Grill until cooked through, 450 degrees for about three minutes on each side until they turn pink and have charring on them.

When you are done, plate the food, squeeze a bit of lime juice over your meal and enjoy! 

I strongly recommend pairing this with a delicious summer beer like Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy or our personal favorite, Kona Brewing Company's Waialua Wheat.

- Chris

Asian Inspired Shrimp Tacos

Holy crap. I'm alive! The blog lives on! In the midst of yet another move across this vast country, I'm taking the time to catch up on a few things...like blogging.

This take on a shrimp taco is Asian-inspired and, like an episode of Chopped, almost seems like you just grabbed whatever was closest in the fridge and mixed it together. First take one part soy sauce, one part sriracha and one part rice wine vinegar and whisk them together. Add in sesame seeds and some grated fresh ginger (powdered will do, but it’s honestly not as potent) and then continue to whisk. If you sample it and you want more heat, add sriracha and if you prefer a little more salt, add soy sauce. 

Place the shelled and deveined shrimp – either with or without tails, your call – into the marinade and refrigerate it for up to three hours.

When you are ready to grill, you want to put the shrimp on skewers, alternating with thickly sliced sections of some jalapeño peppers, and grill them for about six minutes each side over a medium flame. For the safety of your deck...remember to soak the skewers if you’re using wooden ones to avoid any fires! 

Once the shrimp are cooked, you can remove them from the skewers or serve them on the skewers - which looks cooler if you've left the tails on.

Served with flour tortillas, diced yellow cherry tomatoes and spinach leaves. This marinade can also be used with chicken, though cooking times will differ.

- Melissa