Grilled Pineapple, Shrimp and Avocado

Someplace I read a recipe for stir-fried shrimp, pineapple and avocado.  Someplace being the operative word here.  I thought I'd uploaded it at the office.  Nope.  Not on my desktop either. Check the home computer.  Nope.  No time to go thru the cookbooks I've been reading and besides I didn't think it was there.  So, out came Steven Raichlen cookbooks.  I'd just find a great marinade and I'd be in business.  Loads of choices.  All of them sounded fabulous.  But, they all took about an hour to marinate.  Maybe just a glaze would be best.  Finally, a perfect glaze.  It'd be wonderful with all three.  And, they'd all be fine alongside the roasted red pepper salad I'd found a recipe for on the way home. 

So, what did we think?  I loved everything.  Gave it all a five.  Connie gave it all a four.  He's not a huge fan of fruit.  But, that's ok.  It's good and good for you so I keep serving it!  I think the glaze would be fabulous on scallops as well.

Now, the funny part of all of this...  A couple of weeks ago I decided that I'd start uploading recipes to my home computer instead of to our imaging system.  So, I put a folder on my desktop to store recipes until such time as I've downloaded all the to-try recipes from the imaging system and set up the filing system at home.  Never even dawned on me that maybe, just maybe that's where the recipe was.  Then, I wrote about how I couldn't find it and suddenly pictured the folder.  Yup, there it was.  Except it was for an avocado and pineapple and red onion salad.  Nothing stir fried about it. No shrimp.  Just a salad.  Ok, time to have a good laugh at myself.  Please join in :-)

And the end of the story is that the leftovers got made into a salad.  The avocado got mashed with a bit of lime juice, cumin and mayo.  Three ribs of celery got chopped up and tossed in.  The shrimp and pineapple got chopped and tossed in.  It was delightful!


Grilled Shrimp, Pineapple and Avocado with Rum Glaze

Ingredients:

24 jumbo or extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 c firmly packed brown sugar
8 T butter
1/2 c dark rum (preferably Mount Gay)
3 T Dijon mustard
1 T cider vinegar
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

Mix the glaze ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.  Allow the mixture to simmer until it's syrupy.  Put the shrimp on skewers.  (The recipe calls for using sugarcane... I didn't have any handy -lol.)   Heat your grill to high.  Either skewer the shrimp or put them in a grill basket. 

Brush with the glaze and grill.  We also grilled the peeled avocado halves and pineapple slices brushed with the glaze at the same time. 

adapted from How to Grill


Along with the grilled shrimp, pineapple and avocado we had a fabulous roasted red pepper salad.  This recipe came from a cookbook titled From Pantry to Table.  It's, ok I'm trying to search for the perfect word here... - interesting comes to mind.  But, many of the flavor combos are exactly that - interesting.  In a good way, they're interesting.  And, what the author has on her list for a basic pantry... let's just say that a good number of the items I'd consider advanced.  And, even my pantry doesn't measure up to her advanced status.  But, at any rate, I loved this dish.  It was just as good leftover a couple of days later for lunch...  This is a cookbook I have a feeling I'll find LOTS of great recipes in... 

Before I share the recipe with you, I've got to share a photo of one of the best things about this meal.  We ate it on our screened porch. 

Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Ingredients:

10 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 t grated orange zest
orange segments from one orange
1/4 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t ancho chile powder
1 garlic clove, finely minced
10-15 pimento stuffed green olives, chopped
3 T white wine vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop the peppers into bite-sized pieces.  Toss with the other ingredients. Serve.

adapted from From Pantry to Table, Creative Cooking from the Well-stocked Kitchen