We all love shrimps. Whether they are fried, baked or grilled, they taste great. Shrimps are my favorite food and every now and then I look for new ways of cooking shrimp. Just last week, I stumbled upon this Pesto Grill Shrimp recipe. Since it’s summer and since it’s the grilling season, I decided to give this recipe a try. And believe it or not, it was simply delicious and something I would love to eat everyday.
You can find peeled and deveined shrimps in almost every supermarket today. Since they are so popular, it is very likely that your supermarket will carry them in a range of sizes from small to jumbo. But for this recipe, you can settle for medium sized shrimps. Even small ones would be nice as they would require very little time for marinating, but I don’t recommend using the small ones because they would get hard quickly over medium high heat. When you use medium sized shrimps, they will take at least 3 minutes to cook each side and then the inside will always be nice and juicy.
Marinating shrimps in freshly made pesto ensures that all the flavors are locked in before you start grilling them. This recipe is very simple and easy to make. You can prepare it within just about 40 minutes. So whether you have kids at home during the weekend or have guests coming over, this is one of the easiest yet tastiest dishes you can serve to them.
Shrimps may not be in the good books of many people because of the fact that they increase cholesterol levels. What makes a meal unhealthy is basically the way it is cooked and the extra unhealthy ingredients it is topped with. Just as the name suggests, our Pesto Grilled Shrimps are grilled and not cooked using any other unhealthy cooking method. Grilling requires very little oil and it also prevents wastage of any essential nutrients.
While it is true that shrimps are high in cholesterol, they offer a number of health benefits as well. They are loaded with protein, zinc, vitamin D and B3. They do not contain carbohydrates so can be helpful in weight loss as well. Shrimps also contain good amounts of iodine which prevents thyroid conditions. Deficiency of iodine can result in weight gain and sluggish thyroid activity. They contain copper which can prevent loss of hair.
Selenium is another mineral that is packed in shrimps. According to studies, individuals whose intake of selenium is lower are at a greater risk of suffering from different types of cancers. So with all these health benefits, it is definitely time to include shrimps in your diet.
http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/06/pesto-grilled-shrimp.html
Preparation time: 10 mins
Marinate time: 20 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutesCook time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
- ½ cup basil
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper
- Except shrimps, put all the other ingredients in a food processor or blender and make a smooth paste.
- Into a large bowl, add the pesto and marinate the shrimps for 20 minutes. You can even leave it overnight and cook the other day.
- Place the shrimps in skewers and grill for about 3 minutes each side on medium-high heat.
- Serve hot.
Source: http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/06/pesto-grilled-shrimp.html
