Cajun Baked Shrimp

So once again, Whole Foods sucked me in to buying everything in sight...

Whoops..

But who can blame me?  When I am in there, all of the healthy, delicious, and fresh ingredients just scream at me!

My new obsession: Their 'Traditional Cajun Blend'. (Aka phenomenal cajun spices in a cute little package that I throw on shrimp, making it taste awesome).

This recipe is honestly one of the tastiest shrimp recipes that I have created in a long time.  It is super simple and with only a couple steps and a few minutes, you will have a meal that will be a jackpot winner dinner on any table.

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp, deveined, peeled -- **(This recipe makes a GREAT peel n' eat shrimp too! Just keep the shells on 'em and follow the same instructions below!)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 1/2 TBS Whole Foods Traditional Cajun Blend-- you will not use the whole packet!- just as muchas your heart desires)
Kosher salt, 1/8 tsp
Freshly ground pepper, 1/8 tsp
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Add shrimp in a single layer.

Mince garlic cloves and sprinkle over shrimp.  Sprinkle about 1 1/2 TBS of the Whole Foods Traditional Cajun Blend spices, all over the shrimp and garlic.  Salt and pepper the shrimp about 1/8 tsp of each.  Lightly drizzle extra virgin olive oil all over the shrimp.  Toss with your hands so all of the shrimp is coated.

Bake in oven for about 30 minutes until all of the shrimp are cooked through and pink.  I tossed the shrimp a few times with a spatula while they were cooking, just so they could cook evenly on both sides.  (The cooking time will strictly depend on how large the shrimp are-- mine were pretty small, but if you have large shrimp, especially with the peel on, it will definitely take longer to cook!

The Best Ever Grilled Shrimp

I know I have been putting up a lot of grilling posts lately, but can you blame me?  Summer is FINALLY here and I am taking full advantage of it.

This shrimp recipe comes from a family friend, who actually was a huge inspiration for my love of cooking.  She is a mother of four crazy boys, so you know that her food has to be top notch in order to feed four always hungry, growing boys.  She made this shrimp for us when we were in town visiting a few summers ago and everyone went NUTS.  I am pretty sure it was gone within the first five minutes.

This shrimp is meant to be made in batches, but beware, you can't grill it fast enough.

Ingredients:
2 lbs shrimp, deveined, with or without tails- your choice!
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced
1 TBS tomato paste
2 TBS hot sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Clean and devein shrimp and place in a large bowl.  Set aside.

In a smaller bowl combine all of the ingredients to make the marinade.  Whisk together.

Pour marinade over shrimp and gently mix, making sure every piece of shrimp is coated with marinade.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready to eat, turn grill on to high.  In a grill pan, place shrimp in single layer.  (You can also skewer the shrimp and place directly on grill if you do not have a grill pan).

Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until shrimp is done to your liking.  (We like ours a little extra-crispy!)