How to Incorporate Shrimp into Recipes

Shrimp is a great ingredient to throw into all kinds of dishes. If you're able to snag a bag of frozen shrimp in bulk or find it on sale at the seafood counter, here are a few ideas on how to incorporate shrimp into some of your everyday meals.

Appetizers
Shrimp is a great ingredient for appetizers, because they it works with either a formal or informal settinga. Plus, their size allows for immediate and easy portion control without having to do much work, so it's a no-brainer (you know, for the guest who seems to have no limits).

Shrimp Skewers
Shrimp is a fancy way to serve up a tasty skewer appetizer. And thanks to the various companies that sell pre-made seasonings, this idea can turn out to be a real time saver.
Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients: Shrimp (peeled and deveined), McCormick Grill Mates Baja Citrus Marinade, olive oil, vinegar, water/beer, wooden skewers
What to Do: Follow the directions on the marinade packet. Instead of using water, you can substitute it with any kind of beer you want (or just add a dash of beer to the recipe) - it adds flavor. Let the shrimp sit in the marinade for about 15 minutes before placing them on a skewer (that has soaked in a dish of water first). Because these are only appetizers, just put two pieces of shrimp on per stick (cut the sticks down to appropriate size if need be). Place on the grill. You can also use a skillet, but on the grill tastes best. This is great for an outside party/get-together, and the marinade has the best tang. These taste great served with tacos and a side of black beans and corn tortillas.

Coconut Shrimp
Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients: 1 can cream of coconut, pinch of cayenne pepper, about 2 cups of flour, dash of beer, 1 tablespoon water, oil
What to Do: Coconut shrimp is a crowd pleaser because of its sweet flavor. Try this beer batter recipe for a no-brainer appetizer. Mix your coconut cream, cayenne pepper, beer and water together. Dip your shrimp in this liquid mixture then dip it in the flour. Repeat this once more. Do this for every piece of shrimp. When you're done coating your shrimp, fry them in oil until they turn a golden brown color. Let sit on a plate lined with a paper towel or brown paper bag (to soak up the oil). You can serve with a mix of very finely diced pineapple and mango, a kind of pineapple salsa.

Salads
Try any of these salad ideas. They all work for a hot summer or spring day when you just want to sit outside and relax. Shrimp adds some hearty protein to your greens turning simple snacks into filling meals. These are also great ideas for work lunches.

Asian Inspired
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients: Peanut dressing (such as San-J Mildly Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce), tofu, cucumber, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce
What to Do: Cube the tofu and seer with the peanut sauce (I've chosen this one if you're hesitant about eating something too spicy. Go to the ethnic foods section of any store and you can find the right sauce with the right amount of heat for you), adding in your diced cucumber and tomato. When that is done, add the warm mixture to cold, chopped iceberg lettuce leaves. You're done. This is a great and easy standalone meal for a hot summer day.

Greek Pasta Salad
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients: Zucchini, cherry tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, red onion, tri-color pasta
What to Do: Place pasta in boiling water and cook according to package directions. Dice the red onion and slice the zucchini. When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and let it cool. Once it is cool, add your (cooked) shrimp, zucchini, tomatoes, olive and onion in a serving dish. Mix all of your ingredients with a light balsalmic vinaigrette and then top with crumbled feta cheese. Serve with some crusty, toasted bread.

Avocado Salad
Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients: tomato juice (about ½ a cup), cilantro, red onion, 1 lime, salt, pepper, avocados
What to Do: Combine your tomato juice, diced cilantro, diced red onion (only use about a quarter of it), lime juice and salt and pepper. Add your cooked shrimp to this mixture and allow it all to sit for about 15 minutes. While the shrimp mixture is sitting, cut your avocados into slices. Then combine your shrimp mixture with the avocados. This is another great side for a barbeque.

Sandwiches
What's not to love about sandwiches? They are super simple to make and can be packed for just about anywhere. Add shrimp between your bread for a surprising treat and break from the usual cold cuts routine.

Shrimp Sandwich
Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients: French bread rolls, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, celery, red onion
What to Do: This is good to take for a picnic or sitting out and eating it at the beach (if you have the appropriate cooler storage pack for it). Peel your shrimp and cut in thirds or halves (depending on the size). Dice your celery and red onion. Then combine all ingredients with a dollop of mayo along with salt and pepper to taste. Place on a toasted French bread roll. This is a very simple sandwich in the same vein as a regular old tuna fish sandwich.

Wrap
Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients: Wheat tortillas, red onion slices, romaine lettuce, tomato slices, Italian dressing, lime juice
What to Do: This wrap has pretty simple ingredients and would be something good to take to work for lunch. All you need to do is combine your onion, tomatoes and shrimp with the Italian dressing and about a teaspoon of the lime juice. Layer a piece of romaine lettuce on your tortilla. Then place the mixed ingredients on top of the lettuce, and wrap up your tortilla to create a little pocket. (You could also use a pita pocket instead of a tortilla).

Pasta
Pasta is super simple to make (under 10 minutes). Yet, it is hardy enough to serve as its own meal. It makes perfect sense following a hard day of work when the last thing you want to have to do is "cook."

Curry Shrimp Pasta
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients: Spaghetti, 2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, salt, pepper, bell peppers (red and green)
What to Do: In a large pot, bring water to a boil and then add your pasta (cook according to directions). In a pan, place your shrimp, curry powder, lemon juice, salt, pepper and bell peppers. Sautee the ingredients until they are hot. Once this is done, add the mixture to your pasta.

Shrimp and Mushroom Spaghetti
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients: 1 clove of garlic, mushrooms, butter, angel hair pasta, salt, pepper, grated parmesan cheese
What to Do: Cook your pasta as per the package direction. While the pasta is cooking, clean your mushrooms. After cleaning your mushrooms, sauté the mushrooms, shrimp and garlic in the butter. Once that is done, add this mixture to your pasta.

Pizza

BBQ Shrimp Pizza
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients: Trader Joe's Bold and Smoky Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce, pre-made pizza dough (or biscuit dough), shrimp, grated jack cheese, pineapple
What to Do: This is good for either a quick dinner, or can be served for a fun dinner party. All you need to do is spoon your barbeque sauce onto the dough. I like the Trader Joe's barbeque sauce because it's sweet, but not candy sweet, and it complements the sweetness of the pineapple. There's still a little bit of that woodsy, barbeque flavor. After you've coated the dough with the sauce, cover it with the grated cheese and then place the shrimp and pineapple on top. Then cook according to the package directions.