Marinated Grilled Shrimp

I am always looking for good seafood recipes, as we seem to eat a lot of chicken and beef. I love the simplicity of this dish. There is a little bit of a wait for the shrimp to marinate, but otherwise the recipe comes together really quickly and makes a great weeknight meal.

The flavors are perfect, too. Tomato and basil are always great together - I love fresh basil so much that I pretty much love anything with basil in it :) The cayenne complements the other flavors without making it spicy at all. As the author of the recipe warns, don't leave it out! I might even add more cayenne next time to give it some kick. I halved the recipe (but included the full recipe below) and it was the perfect amount for the two of us. I served it with lemon risotto and roasted garlic bread... mmmm!


Marinated Grilled Shrimp
from Allrecipes.com

3 cloves garlic, minced (I halved the recipe and still used 2 cloves)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
skewers

In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.

Lightly oil grill grate (I use my George Foreman grill; no oiling needed). Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

Yield: 6 Servings.