Meatless Friday: Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Sweet Pineapple Salsa

Don't worry about heating up the house when you cook this easy summer meal. This shrimp dish comes together so quickly that you’ll need to make sure your sides are just about complete before putting the shrimp into the skillet. Let's start with the salsa: a sweet, fresh topping that's terrific for any grilled fish (or chicken) dish.

Pineapple Salsa

Serves 8

2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, washed and chopped
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
Juice of one lime (about 1 oz.)

Combine all ingredients and allow to sit at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

Turn up the heat by adding 1 TBL finely-diced jalapeño peppers.

Copyright 2016 Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS. All rights reserved.

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp

Serves 4

1 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined*
3 TBL olive oil, divided
zest and juice of one lime
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss shrimp, 1 TBL olive oil, lime zest, salt, pepper, cayenne and cumin in a bowl.

In a heavy skillet, sauté garlic in remaining olive oil. Add shrimp in a single layer.

Cook 2 minutes before turning, then stir until shrimp is cooked through.

Add lime juice and cook one more minute.

Remove from heat, top with cilantro and serve immediately.

*I use shrimp labeled 31-40 per pound, but that’s all a matter of preference. This recipe will work with shrimp of any size.