Grilled Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Frozen shrimp has always been a go-to staple in my freezer--and especially so during the quarantine, shelter-in-place, days of late.  Besides going from frozen to thawed within minutes, there is something comforting about knowing that you've got seafood virtually on-demand and waiting to be transformed into as many delicious iterations as your imagination can muster.

So this past Sunday, after a morning walk, followed by an online worship service, and re-watching Hamilton (squeal!), my mind went to what's for dinner.  And in keeping with my already low-key Sunday vibes, I decided to keep it simple.

What resulted was simple in preparation, indeed, in that I had all of the ingredients on hand in my fridge, but by no means simple in final wow-appeal and delicious-ness.  Translation: it. was. so. good.

Grilled shrimp (I grilled my shrimp on my indoor smokeless grill for extra ease), lettuce leaves to serve as the bed and wrap, piquant scallions, juicy grape tomatoes, hothouse cucumber slices, and a punchy lime vinaigrette, made for one good 'til the last bite creation.  The lightness of the dish (perfect for Summer) x the big flavors made this an instant favorite.  It's a gorgeous meal-in-one that can double as appetizers or a main course, depending on whether you're hungry or hangry. :)

Enjoy--and join me in finding delight in the simple pleasures of...

Happy Eating!

Grilled Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:
Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Old Bay Seasoning
Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco
Olive Oil
Lettuce leaves (Boston or Bibb, recommended)
Grape tomatoes, halved
Scallions, chopped (white and green parts)
Hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced
Lime Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Flaked sea salt for garnish (optional)

Method:
Place shrimp in a bowl and season to taste with salt, pepper, Old Bay, Worcestershire, Tabasco and oil; toss ingredients to combine. Grill shrimp until just done about 2 minutes or so per side. While shrimp is grilling, prepare vinaigrette.  Once done, remove shrimp and drizzle with some of the vinaigrette.  Toss to coat and set aside.

Arrange lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, cucumber and shrimp on a platter.  Place remaining vinaigrette in a dish/bowl and add to platter.  Garnish with a light sprinkle of flaked sea salt to finish, if using.  To assemble, place cucumber, tomatoes, shrimp and scallions on lettuce leaf.  Garnish with a drizzle of vinaigrette to finish--and enjoy!

Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
Juice of 1 lime
Teaspoon of Dijon mustard   
1/2 teaspoon of honey
Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil  

Method:
Whisk together lime juice, mustard, honey, salt and pepper.  Drizzle in oil and whisk until emulsified and fully incorporated. (Cook's Note: I like my vinaigrette with a good acidic punch so I typically use less oil than is standard.  Feel free to modify with more oil, as desired.  And you can also double the original recipe for more vinaigrette. Store remaining vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.)