Not just another bowl of cereal...

We actually had the energy and the means to make a dinner worthy of sharing with you. Granted, it was one night out of a dozen but we gotta start somewhere. Next time you have some good sized shrimp and want a flavorful dish that doesn't involve stir fry, try this. The mango and papaya salad is surprisingly tasty. Sarah is not a fan of either fruit but was sold at first taste. The cilantro and pepper provide a nice contrast and the salad has a very fresh and bright effect on the meal. The longest part of the meal was chopping up the fruit. The marinade and grill time are very short. Note: don't prepare the salad way ahead of time--it is much better fresh. The recipe comes from Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine.

Josh and Sarah

Serves 6

Chile Rub (we used a seafood rub)
¼ cup New Mexican chile powder
1 tablespoon blackening seasoning
- Mix together in a small bowl; set aside.

Fruit Salsa
¼ cup finely diced red pepper
1 cup finely diced mango
1 cup finely diced pineapple
1 cup finely diced papaya
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice from 1 small lime
- In a small bowl, mix the salsa ingredients together; set aside.

Lemon Butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Juice from half a small lemon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
- In a small bowl, mix together with a fork until incorporated and set aside.

Marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
18 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
6 (8-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water (don't forget this step)...
- Place first 4 ingredients in a resealable plastic bag and mix well. Add the shrimp and mix to coat. Marinate 2-3 minutes.

Photo by Werner Segarra

1. Heat grill to high. When hot, remove shrimp from marinade and put 3 shrimp on each skewer. Place skewers on a platter and lightly dust shrimp on both sides with the chile rub. 2. Grill shrimp 3 minutes per side or until just cooked through. Place skewers on a warm platter. Brush shrimp on each side with lemon butter; cover to keep warm. 3. Divide the salsa between 6 plates, mounding it in the center. Place 1 shrimp skewer on salsa and brush again with butter and leftover juices from platter. Or, serve separately.

September 6, 2008

Well here goes... one of the top ten meals we have ever created and eaten... It was so good, it could have been served in courses... wow, the kind of meal where you can't decide what to take a bite of next because everything on your plate is so tasty and perfectly prepared.

Prep and cook time: 45 min... and 3 beers


Meal

2002 Robert Hall Red Wine was enjoyed with this meal

1.5" thick New York strip
I am ashamed to say we used Montreal steak seasoning... but it was soooo good... still perfecting the dry rub.

Grilled vegetable medley
brussel sprouts, whole grape tomatoes, baby bella mushrooms, onions cut into large chunks
olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and grilled to perfection

Davenab's pasta salad
penne pasta, quartered grape tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, diced onions, sliced pepperoni, crumbled bavarian sheep cheese
sour cream, ranch dressing,, garlic salt, seasoning salt, pepper


Dessert

Pear Crumble a la mode (butter pecan)
The recipe was loosely followed. I didn't use plums and we used granola in place of oats, and rum in place of water... mighty tasty.


Just doing my small part to promote the spreading of foodies nationwide... will you help? Get out there and get creative!