Okay, so I know I am not the inventor
of grilled shrimp, but I am seriously obsessed with my healthy recipe and would
love to share this super tasty appetizer. I may be a tad bit bias so
you all will just have to try it out for yourself! First of all, I chose shrimp
because this fish is high in protein and low in fat. For a 4 oz. serving of
shrimp (about 9 pieces), there is only 100 calories, 20g of protein, 0.5g of
fat and 3g of carbohydrate. This makes for a healthy choice and a great
appetizer (if you even like the taste). Obviously, no one likes just plain
shrimp so I have come up with a simple recipe to add some more flavor without
adding more pounds to your waistline. Here is what you do...
1. Buy raw shrimp with the tail-on.
It should be peeled, chemical-free, and deveined. I get mine from Costco, which
is what is in the picture below. In one 2-pound package, there are roughly
31-40 shrimp per pound.
2. To thaw, place the bag of shrimp
in the refrigerator overnight then strain. DO NOT run water over the shrimp to
thaw because that is apparently really bad and unsafe and I am not exactly sure
why, but the bag says so, so just plan ahead and do it properly.
3. Once the shrimp is thawed with no
ice crystals, rinse the shrimp under cold water in a strainer then dry with
some paper towels by gently squeezing the shrimp.
4. Have a disposable tin pan (I use
Caterer's Choice half size steam table pans- 30 come in one pack) and put a
drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil along the bottom.
5. Place the shrimp in the pan and
drizzle some more olive oil on top of the shrimp. I would say I used about 4
tablespoons (1/4 cup) at the max for the total
amount of olive oil used in this recipe. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is my
preference because it is one of the healthiest oils and it is loaded mostly
with monounsaturated fat and less amounts of polyunsaturated fat (both good
fats) and the taste is perfect with shrimp!
6. Toss the shrimp gently with your
hands to coat the shrimp evenly with the olive oil. Next, you should probably
wash your hands to get the oil off. Then, sprinkle ~1 Tablespoon of Garlic
Powder over the shrimp. Garlic gives a great flavor with only a few calories
(~30 calories per Tablespoon).
7. Once the shrimp is coated with
garlic powder, cover the shrimp with freshly ground pepper to increase flavor
even more. The amount is truly up to you depending how much you like
pepper!
8. Make sure the shrimp are evenly
coated with garlic powder and freshly ground pepper.
9. Next place the shrimp on a heated
grill. I first put the grill to high and then once all shrimp are on the grill,
I turn down the heat to medium. After about 10 mins, flip the shrimp over to
cook for roughly another 10 mins or until the shrimp is no longer transparent
and has the desirable grill marks on each side.
10. Place fully cooked shrimp in a pretty bowl and serve. (You
can serve them hot or cold...either way they are purely delicious).
ENJOY :)
