Roasted Green Lightning Shrimp

After marinating, this summery shrimp dish takes minutes to put together. Featuring bold flavors of cilantro, scallions, garlic and jalapenos, you can make it in the oven or on the grill.

I love green food. Basil pesto or herb pesto, sautéed greens or sugar snap peas, creamed spinach or greens, a big salad, just the sight of a dish of green makes my mouth water. I know I’m in for tasty, nutritious goodness.

Take a look at that dish of green—Roasted Green Lightning Shrimp. Wow, right? It is as good as it looks. That’s a kohlrabi sauté lurking in the back.

I’m guessing the “lightning” is a nod to the jalapeños. You can up the heat by leaving a bit of the white ribs and seeds in the marinade. I usually leave the seeds out but I don’t mind a bit of the ribs.

It’s a Steven Raichlen recipe. He’s a grill master so the original recipe is made on the grill, but I am not a grill master so I made this in the oven. The good thing about the oven is you are less likely to overcook the shrimp. Mine were done perfectly. That doesn’t always happen!

The second time I made this, I didn’t bother with the cilantro and garlic butter sauce. The sauce didn’t add that much to the shrimp. The marinade packs more than enough flavor, so why add more fat. Instead, I served guacamole on the side—a natural companion to the marinade ingredients.

Roasted Green Lightning Shrimp

Allow 30 minutes for marinating. You’ll need a food processor, sealable gallon bag and a sheet pan. If you’re making the butter, you’ll need a small saucepan.

• 3 jalapeños, seeded, coarsely chopped
• 4 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves – 2 cloves coarsely chopped, 1 clove minced
• 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined – buy American only, don’t support Asian slave labor!
• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of butter
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• Sliced avocado or guacamole

Put jalapeños, scallions and 2 cloves of garlic in a food processor and chop. Add 1/2 cup of the cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin, and olive oil and puree until everything is combined. Put the shrimp and the cilantro/jalapeño mixture in a sealable gallon bag and marinate for 30 minutes.

If you’d like to make a cilantro and garlic butter sauce, cook 1 clove of minced garlic in the butter, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. When done, stir in 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro. Keep warm until the shrimp are cooked.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425. Spread the shrimp and marinade out on a baking sheet. Roast them for 6 minutes, or until opaque—the exact amount of time will depend on the size of your shrimp.

If you like, you can transfer the shrimp to a large dish and pour the cilantro and garlic butter sauce over them and/or squeeze fresh lime juice over them. Serve with sliced avocado or guacamole on the side.

Original recipe: Green Lightning Shrimp, Necessary Indulgences

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1 year ago on Gusto: Kohlrabi Parmesan

2 years ago: Chipotle Sloppy Joes

3 years ago: Watermelon Cucumber Salad

4 years ago: Grilled Georgia Chicken Salad

5 years ago: Chicken and Chickpea Curry Stew and Spicy Slaw