Grilled Shrimp Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Grilled Shrimp Mediterranean Orzo Salad is a mixture of small pasta, known as orzo, along with summertime produce such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and seasonal herbs directly from the garden.
Shrimp
Shrimp is such a simple and economical method to savor seafood. Children usually enjoy shrimp, as do adults.
During my time in Brazil and exploring the coastline of a northern state, I saw shrimp being caught off the shore.
I experienced shrimp in every conceivable way you can think of while there.
A cherished shrimp recipe from Brazil is one I recently demonstrated on a cooking show on television – The Great American Recipe on PBS.
This dish is referred to as Moqueca, and it is a steaming bowl of seafood stew with chilis and coconut milk.
Hot dish in the summer, you say?
Um, yes. Brazil is perpetually warm, and they are fond of this dish!
Grilled Shrimp – It’s A Mediterranean Way Of Life
Grilled shrimp is an excellent way to relish seafood here in America during the summer.
Most people have a gas grill, though I still favor charcoal or wood fire.
Placing a few skewer sticks of shrimp on the grill cooks in under 5 minutes.
Quick, simple, and delightful.
In numerous Mediterranean nations I’ve explored, I was particularly struck by the various methods of grilling seafood.
It always infused so much flavor into the seafood, and if cooked over open fire, freshly cut herbs were tossed into the flames to impart even more taste.
Healthy Grilled Shrimp Salad Dressing
Summer is our favored salad season.
Our gardens are overflowing with vegetables and fresh herbs.
Local farmers’ markets entice us to visit, and even supermarkets sell local produce in the summer.
Healthy salads are a certainty, as they typically consist of raw vegetables.
However, salad dressing can be what transforms a healthy intent into a calorie-laden mixture filled with artificial ingredients and unhealthy preservatives.
Not In My Kitchen!
Homemade Salad Dressing
Homemade Lemon salad dressings take mere minutes to prepare and are among the healthiest ways to enjoy a salad.
Salt, fat, and acid are the essentials for superior salad dressings.
Fat, ideally olive oil or another plant oil, such as avocado, coconut, or sunflower.
Acid is simply citric acid or vinegar.
Citric acid can be derived from lime, lemon, grapefruit, or orange.
Whisk the acidic component with the oil, and you have an impeccable emulsion for a luxurious yet healthy salad dressing.
Add to this a dash of garlic, some finely minced onions, or even a touch of chili, and you’d be left wondering why you ever purchased salad dressing!
Salads That Keep You Satisfied!
Salad, you mention? Isn’t it merely a side item, or a heap of uncooked vegetables to fulfill my desire for something nutritious on my dish?
Heartier and gratifying salads ought to feature nutritious vegetables as well as something substantial.
Potato Salad is typically the first filling salad that comes to mind for many of us.
When preparing potato salad, I prefer it with Homemade Mayo added.
To that, include plenty of celery and onions alongside a swift homemade mayo, simply made with lemon, olive oil, and an egg yolk.
Orzo Salad stands out as another beloved filling salad; it’s also a dish I showcased on PBS.
Top it with grilled fish or shrimp, and you’ve created a complete and ideal nutritious meal that will keep you satisfied.
How To Grill Shrimp
Shrimp is petite and can easily fall through grill grates.
Therefore, there are multiple methods to tackle this task, and I will share a few of my preferred techniques:
- Thread the shrimp, vertically, onto kabob sticks. This allows them to remain aligned during grilling and simplifies flipping them.
- Grill baskets, which feature a lid attached to a stainless steel cooking surface with a handle. They make it simple to pile small items together and grill them as one.
- Grill trays, resembling frying pans with holes, which enable cooking inside while allowing heat and flavor from the fire to infuse.
- A stovetop cast iron griddle provides the heat and grill marks, albeit without the smoke.
- A tabletop hibachi grill offers a simple and economical option for grilling for one or two individuals.
Required Equipment
- Grill, Hibachi, or stovetop griddle – this grill basket is fantastic and easy to use for grilling.
- Kabob sticks – I prefer these reusable kabob sticks.
- Small bowl
- Whisk or fork
- 2-quart pot, for cooking the orzo
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon
Required Ingredients
- Shrimp
- Olive oil
- Lime
- Garlic
- Coarse salt
- Orzo
- Tomatoes
- Parsley
- Cucumber
- Mushrooms
- 1 lb Shrimp peeled
- 3 tbs Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Lime juice and zest
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- Coarse salt to taste
- 1 cup Orzo or other small pasta
- 2 cups Tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley diced
- 1 cup Cucumbers diced
- 1 cup Mushrooms diced
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Slide the shrimp onto 4 kabob skewers, going through the length of the shrimp, ensuring they remain aligned.
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Combine the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, and minced garlic in a small bowl. Apply a bit to both surfaces of the prepared shrimp. Reserve the remaining dressing for the salad.
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Prepare the orzo as per the package instructions. It generally takes around 8 minutes to cook. In a large bowl, mix the diced mushrooms with the leftover salad dressing and a pinch of salt. Once the orzo is cooked and drained, add the hot orzo over the mushrooms and swiftly cover with a lid. The heat will tenderize the mushrooms.
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Grill the shrimp. Cooking shrimp is quick, so keep a watchful eye. About 1 minute on each side until they lose their opacity and become pink. Remove from heat.
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Add the diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and minced parsley into the bowl of orzo. Toss, plate, and arrange one grilled shrimp skewer across each salad before serving. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired.
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