SAVORY GRILLED SHRIMP

There’s no doubt, grilling season has arrived. School is out, the weather is warm, dads are being honored this month and chances are you will find dads at one of their favorite celebration spots: the grill.

Two of the easiest foods to grill are also two of the healthiest: fresh shrimp and bell peppers. Use large fresh, peeled and deveined shrimp for great flavor and place a cast iron grill pan on top of your grill to cook the shrimp as to prevent losing any delicious shrimp to the grill. Place whole bell peppers directly onto the flame for top char – this is the one time burning your food is the goal. 

Shrimp and bell peppers are a recipe for success. While shrimp have natural quantities of cholesterol, bell peppers contain antioxidant properties that help control cholesterol levels and help prevent heart disease. A win-win combination, shrimp are high in protein, naturally carb-free and contain zinc, which ultimately helps the body with energy expense and fat storage. Natural iodine is found in shrimp, too, which helps balance the thyroid, also aiding in proper weight maintenance. More good news about bell peppers is they possess high water content and fiber, making them ideal for weight loss loss, and they are sodium and cholesterol-free. 

Dad is going to love this recipe so much he won’t realize you are giving him the gift of healthy foods. 

(Serves 4)

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1 small bunch fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Fine zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon 

½ tablespoon white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1½ tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 1 pound

1. Preheat grill over high heat. Place red, yellow, green and orange bell peppers directly onto the grill. Char until black on all sides and then place in a brown paper bag or mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap to sweat the peppers. 

2. While peppers are sweating, remove parsley leaves from stems and roughly chop. Remove peppers from bag, slice or pull off tops and rub off charred skins. Do NOT rinse. Wipe away any seeds using fingertips or a paper towel. Dice peppers and place in medium mixing bowl. Add chopped parsley leaves, lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, grapeseed oil, and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Toss well to coat. 

3. Place cast iron grill pan on top of grill and preheat over medium heat. Toss shrimp and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in medium mixing bowl. Toss well to coat and then place shrimp on preheated grill pan. Grill about 1 minute and turn shrimp. Grill until shrimp just turn pink, about 1 minute. 

4. To serve, place ½ cup bell pepper mixture in center of serving plate. Top with 6 shrimp. Enjoy! 

Nutritional Information: One serving is 6 large shrimp with ½ cup bell peppers. Calories: 185.3 • Fat: 13.2g • Protein: 9.8g • Carbohydrates: 9g • Sodium: 357.6mg • Fiber: 2g • Cholesterol: 63.8mg

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