Hot off the grill!

 A casual, simple, and yet tasty meal can be cooked up on your outdoor grill, no matter what size!  Shrimp and vegetables, seasoned very lightly so their flavors shine.  Start with the Artichokes, as they take the longest. Trim the stem, if it looks dry, then use kitchen shears to trim the points of the leaves. After grilling, wrap in foil to keep warm while grilling everything else.  You can make as much or as little of the marinade as you like, so that you may brush the other vegetables with it, and use it as a dip when you eat the artichoke.

The shrimp is very simply seasoned, although you can add salt and/or pepper as you like.  Whenever you use wood skewers, be sure to pre-soak them so they don't burn.


Grilled Artichokes
2 large artichokes
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil
pepper to taste
Trim and wash artichokes, boil for 15 minutes,cut in half lengthwise, then place on hot grill, brush with olive oil mixture, turn a few times until artichokes are nicely charred, a total of about 10 minutes.

 Grilled Shrimp
1-2 lbs medium-sized shrimp, peeled and de-veined
Cayenne Pepper or Mild Chili Powder
 Juice of 1 lemon

Sprinkle shrimp with cayenne, as liberally (or not) as you like.  Thread onto skewers,place on hot grill, squeezing lemon juice as they cook, 3-5 minutes each side.

Grilled Veggies

Grape tomatoes, sweet onion, mushrooms, (or bell peppers or zucchini, use your imagination) threaded onto skewers and grilled over hot coals are a simple, tasty way to enjoy fresh veggies.  Use some of the marinade from the artichokes above, or bottled Italian Salad Dressing, or just a light brush with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and/or pepper. 

Let everyone pile their plates with the sticks of their choosing! 
It's almost all finger food! 

The Aftermath

 

How to build the perfect shrimp ceviche tostada

Depending on where the shrimp comes from, its a family project in our house. We are serious shrimp snobs, and have become such wussies, we can't eat shrimp that has any sand vein at all, or we are convinced we have food poisoning. So we have a family shrimp de-veining session, and we can knock out 4 pounds of shrimp, pretty and clean in no time.

Now, purists will cry foul if you boil your shrimp, we do, only because these days, unless you see that shrimp come out of the ocean, you can't be sure of the freshness. 'Cooked' in lime juice is just fine if you have really fresh shrimp, otherwise you are asking for pain and suffering.

Lots of fresh cilantro, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalapenos. A pinch of salt & pepper, cumin and a generous squeeze of lime juice, and you have a shrimp ceviche fit for a king.

Take a tostada shell, smear with mashed avocado, pile on a scoop of ceviche, more hot sauce, if that is your thing, and crumble some queso fresco.

Simple.
Yummy.

And another family bonding experience.

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