Grilled Lemon Shrimp & Italian Orzo Salad

It is Saturday night, so I am going to keep this post short and sweet. Both of these recipes were winners! Sooooo yummy!

Grilled Lemon Shrimp
Adapted From: America's Test Kitchen Light & Healthy 2010 cookbook

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21-25 count); peeled, deveined, butterflied
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
For the marinade: Combine lemon juice, zest, parsley, oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Measure and reserve 2 Tablespoons of marinade for serving.

For the shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, and them to the bowl with the remaining marinade, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove shrimp from marinade, and thread onto skewers. Sprinkle one side of the shrimp with the sugar. Grill shrimp sugar side down on a preheated grill or grill pan. Cook until lightly charred and then flip to cook on the other side (cook time will depend on grill, anywhere from 1-4 minutes). Cook until second side is no longer translucent. Remove shrimp from the skewers and toss with the reserved 2 tablespoons of marinade. Serve and enjoy!

NOTE: Don't let the shrimp marinate for longer than 15 minutes or the acid from the lemon juice will "cook" the shrimp and turn them rubbery.

Nutrition Info: (Serves 4) Cal: 250; Fat: 10g; Sat fat: 1.5g; Chol: 260 mg; Carb: 5g; Fiber: 0g; Sodium: 550mg

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Italian Orzo Salad
Adapted From: the Taste of Home website(published in Simple & Delicious June/July 2010, p29)

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
1 package (16 ounces) orzo pasta
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
1-3/4 cups (7 ounces ) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil; add pasta. Return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, parsley, basil, onions and spinach. Drain pasta; add to tomato mixture. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Chill until serving. Just before serving, stir in cheese and pine nuts.

Nutrition Facts: Yield: 12 servings. 2/3 cup equals 288 calories, 12 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 630 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein.





The Result:
Not the best photos, but this meal was delicious!!! My only advice is to stick to the 15 minute marinating time, or your shrimp will not turn out right. Other than that, both these recipes are fantastic!