Spring leaning and summertime around the corner sparks a craving for more seafood especially living on the coast of Florida. When the Jag offered to grill the shrimp I had planned for Friday night’s dinner — I took him up on his offer. He had an idea to smoke with some apple wood chips lending an amazing flavor to the shrimp.

The apple wood chips created a sweet mild smokey flavor that was a delight to the shellfish. He definitely scored some brownie points Friday night.

Season up those babies with the rub mixture and place on your skewers. I prefer the double prong skewers as the shrimp will not turn when you go to flip them. Well worth the investment; we’ve had these since the 80’s. I like leaving the heads on while hubby doesn’t. He tends to be a little squeamish in that area. I peel mine leaving the the tail and head intact; when eating (just like a craw fish) you can pinch the head off and suck the juices out of the shrimp. There has to be lots of good stuff in there because it sure is tasty.

Life is so busy I guess I hadn’t been paying to much attention to my husband. When he took his shirt off while grilling I noticed that damn, he appeared to have gotten a little leaner; by default since I’m on my spring leaning program. He was eating chocolate bunnies Easter weekend and the cocktails haven’t gone away. Another month or so and I just might see the six pack of yesteryear. All right honey, I’ll give you credit–not bad for 66.

Smoke em’! For about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes per side depending on size of shrimp. These were ‘large’ and 1 minute 45 seconds each side was perfect.

Time to eat–enjoy!  And great for a ‘rest’ day. . .

Recipe & Ingredients

The Shrimp:
2-3 pounds wild caught large shrimp, preferably with the heads on
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Applewood chips

Soaking liquid (water, apple cider, chardonnay, pinot noir or even pineapple juice)
Peel the shrimp leaving the heads attached. Place on skewers. Mix spices together in a small bowl combining well. Sprinkle evenly on both sides of the shrimp. Meanwhile place your applewood chips in your liquid of choice to soak for at least 30 minutes. Fire up your grill.

While you’re waiting make up a simple cocktail sauce out of organic ketchup and fresh horseradish with a splash of lemon juice to taste. That’s it; nice and simple.

We don’t have a big Green Egg yet but if you do have a smoker, cook according to manufacturer’s directions. We’re using our old fashioned Weber charcoal grill so the chips are placed directly on the coals.

Place the skewers on the grill, put on the lid and about 1 minute 45 seconds per side. Precision is key here as the shrimp are easy to overcook. The time will vary depending upon the size of the shrimp. I would say ours were ‘large’; adjust the time accordingly.

Serve with fresh lemons and freshly made cocktail sauce.

The Salad
Your choice of fresh organic lettuces (butterhead, leaf, red leaf, romaine, arugula)
carrots
sweet bell pepper
thinly sliced onions
green olives
olive oil and lemon juice was our dressing; choose your favorite

Get creative adding the vegetables that are in season in your locale. My salad is generally never the same depending on what I have on hand or what sparks my taste buds at the local market.

Check out more Power Athlete friendly recipes on my blog Paula Lean Primal Queen!

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