Grilled Shrimp with Mango-Lime Vinaigrette

If you are a follower of my blog, you know that we do birthdays in a special way.  The birthday person gets to rule the whole day of celebration...they get to choose all the food and the activities for the day.  Now that my husband and I find ourselves empty nesters, we usually cater to the other on both the actual birthday as well as the family gathering day.  Yesterday was Gerry's birthday and so I made meals centered around his particular favorites.

Breakfast was fruit and my homemade round loaf of Jewish Rye Bread which is his absolute favorite bread.

Lunch was a Salad with Fresh Peaches, Drunken Craisins, Gorgonzola, Sweet Roasted Pistachios with Fig and White Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Gerry picked all the components of dinner from our Weber's Real Grilling cookbook and chose to help prepare dinner as well as handle all the grilling.  He is the grill master.

The menu:
Grilled Shrimp with Mango-Lime Vinaigrette
Artichokes with Oregano and Salt
Rack of Lamb with Javanese Peanut Sauce
Grill-Roasted New Potatoes
Acorn Squash with Asiago and Sage
Spiced Banana Chocolate Sundaes (we skipped dessert since we were so full and we may try that tonight)

The food was plentiful and flavorful with the smoky char taste from the grill. 

Grilled Shrimp with Mango-Lime Vinaigrette
Makes 4-6 servings

Marinade:
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
32 large shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and deveined

Vinaigrette
1/2 cup roughly chopped ripe mango, about 1/2 mango
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 whole scallion, root end trimmed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 half-inch section fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To make the marinade:  In a large bowl, mix the marinade ingredients.  Add the shrimp and toss to coat thoroughly.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

To make the vinaigrette:  In a blender or food processor, combine the vinaigrette ingredients.  Process for about 1 minute or until the texture is smooth and emulsified.

Remove the shrimp from the bowl and discard the marinade.  Grill over direct high heat until the shrimp are firm to the touch and just turning opaque in the center, 2 to 4 minutes, turning once.  Serve the shrimp warm with the vinaigrette.


From Weber's Real Grilling Cookbook

My rating: