Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Caribbean Rice will send your taste buds on a tropical taste adventure. Spicy grilled shrimp is paired with sweet tropical fruit and aromatic Jasmine rice to make a refreshing salad that can be eaten warm or cold.
I just returned from my 2nd Weight Watchers meeting. Based on the results of the weigh in, I’ve decided that I should stop watching The Biggest Loser. I need to accept the fact that losing 6 to 12 pounds a week is not a reality, no matter how hard I try.
I lost just over a pound and a half, so I should be proud of myself, right? But judging by the crocodile tears streaming down my face, one may think I had just been introduced to a bed of nails. I was not a happy camper with that weight loss. I worked my butt off and felt like I deserved a bigger loss than that, but I’m going to be grateful that I had a loss and leave it at that.
For as far back as I can remember, eating has been an emotional adventure for me. Happy, sad, angry, elated…my mood doesn’t matter. I love to eat, especially carbs like creamy mashed potatoes and cheddar biscuits. That type of eating led to my gain of 50 excess pounds over the past 9 months. Losing this weight is going to take a lot more than adjusting my eating plan. I think I need a brain adjustment, too.
I need to teach myself to eat only when I’m hungry, and for no other reason. Easier said than done sometimes, especially when I’m constantly baking up dessert recipes like triple chocolate poke cake.
So, I won’t cut the sweets out entirely, but you will be seeing some healthier dessert options. This way, I can eat my creations without getting crazy high on the sugar train.
This spicy grilled shrimp can’t rival Snickers Cheesecake Bars, but it’s definitely a tasty food choice for lunch!
I was inspired to make this dish after seeing the recipe over at Culinary.net. The thought of combining spicy shrimp with sweet mango and kiwi gave me major food cravings.
I wasn’t disappointed, but admittedly, I may have gone a little overboard with the spicy seasonings. Instead of using the spices suggested in the recipe, I used a Creole seasoning blend. I knew I’d be pan grilling the shrimp, so I treated the seasoning like a rub. Placing about 1/4 cup of seasoning into a gallon size Ziploc bag, I spritzed the shrimp with a little bit of olive oil. Then, I sent them swimming into the seasoning mix. A few of the shrimp were heavily coated with spices, and I love spicy food, but those shrimp were blazing! A wiser decision would have been to lay them out on a sheet pan and just sprinkle the seasoning over them. Next time I’ll know what to do.
How do you feel about spicy food? Do you like it?
If not, this spicy grilled shrimp can definitely be made without any spicy seasoning.
I like to use spices on my food, but naked grilled shrimp has never been a bad thing in my book, either.
You might also enjoy my recipe for shrimp and corn salsa shooters.
Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Carribean Rice Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Jasmine rice, uncooked
- 1/8 cup each red bell pepper, green bell pepper and yellow onion, diced small
- 1/4 cup each mango, kiwi, and pineapple (or other favorite tropical fruit)
- 1/8 cup Mystic Blue Spice or other Cajun/Creole seasoning mix
- 12 shrimp, peeled and cleaned
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare rice according to package directions. Cool.
- Mix peppers, onion and fruit in large bowl; set aside.
- In small bowl or plastic storage bag, combine pepper, chili powder, paprika and coriander.
- Oil shrimp and toss with seasonings to coat.
- Place shrimp on skewers and grill until white inside (about 2 minutes).
- Mix together rice and rice vinegar. Season with salt to taste. Stir in basil and mint. Add fruits, vegetables and grilled shrimp, tossing to coat.
Kim Beaulieu says
Dude this makes me wish I wasn’t allergic to seafood. Looks positively delish.
Becca says
DAYUM, Kim… You poor thing! Your tummy troubles SUCK GUMBALLS!