Spicy Shrimp with Sweet Coconut Rice *Award-Winning*

It’s getting warm and as most people do, we tend to grill more and eat lighter. I was craving seafood, and remembered that I had bought a pound of shrimp on sale last week. They’re frozen, but they’re organic, already peeled and deveined, with a little bit of sea salt put in for flavor. I decided to do a spicy grilled shrimp with a sweet coconut rice to balance it off. I made a quick marinade by putting the following ingredients in a Ziploc baggie: 2 cloves garlic (crushed through a garlic press), about a teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon hot paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and a pinch of sugar. I added the shrimp, tossed it around in the baggie, and let it sit for a half-hour. In the meantime, Chris put the rice on, since it takes a half hour to cook. Instead of cooking the rice in plain old water, we used coconut water. Goya makes it in a can, and it’s delicious as a drink, or a mixer, or, apparently, for rice! We mixed ¾ cup of Jasmati rice with 10 ounces of the coconut water and a pinch of salt. We brought it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduced the heat and let it simmer for twenty minutes. Then Chris warmed up the grill. When the rice had five minutes to go, he placed the shrimp on a grill grate and cooked them for about 2 minutes each side, until they were pink and the tails closed in on themselves. It was a very easy dinner – the prep was only about five minutes. And, the result was a great balance of spice from the shrimp and sweetness from the rice. Tasty, light, and perfect for summer.