jumbo

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail!  No matter how often my husband and I entertain, this choice reigns as Number One with our guests. It is so easy to prepare and the presentation awards it center stage. In addition, I place the appetizer on a pedestal serving stand for great eye appeal. For such a tiny food which carries an impressive response, it truly is an oxymoron. 

JUMBO SHRIMP COCKTAIL 

Ingredients:

1 pound Jumbo Shrimp, cooked and deveined with tail on

1/2 heart Romaine lettuce, shredded

1 12-ounce bottle Chili sauce

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Dash of cracked pepper 

Instructions:

Mix all the sauce ingredients. Blend well. Cover and refrigerate for one hour so flavors can intensify. Meanwhile, fill a chilled glass serving bowl with shredded hearts of romaine. Be sure to leave room for a smaller dish of cocktail sauce to rest in the center of the serving bowl. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange the shrimp around the rim of the bowl to form an attractive fan.  Return bowl to the refrigerator to remain chilled until guests arrive. Serve with wooden picks or olive skewers for dipping shrimp into sauce. The romaine is an excellent accent for nibbling. 

Jumbo Shrimp Butter

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Symphony of Flavors: Jumbo Shrimp Butter! What should I bring to the next party? Forget the ho-hum cheese and cracker tray you can pick up at the neighborhood deli. Be innovative. Shrimp is every seafood-lover’s dream. It can actually be made ahead of time, as long as it comes to room temperature before serving. The saltine provides a crisp, light, and salty platform to balance the richness of shrimp and the creaminess of butter. Try it first at home to enjoy it firsthand. Once it hits the buffet line at the party, you may only see the treasured platter you brought it in on by the time it’s your turn to choose. You think I’m kidding. See for yourself. 

JUMBO SHRIMP BUTTER

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature 

1/8 teaspoon seafood seasoning

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 pound jumbo shrimp, frozen and precooked, thawed with tails removed 

Instructions:

In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add seafood seasoning, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, dill weed, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and celery seed. Mash with the back of a fork until all ingredients are well combined. Set aside. Fill a colander with jumbo shrimp. Run under cold water to completely rinse. Remove shrimp and place on paper towels. Pat dry. Remove tails and discard. Chop shrimp very finely in a mini chopper. Fold the shrimp into the seasoned butter mixture. Mix well until spreadable. Serve immediately with saltine crackers. 

Jumbo Shrimp Over Avocado

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Jumbo Shrimp Over Avocado! Grill marks on food are like a person’s signature tattoo. I don’t know about you, but when I see that food is slightly charred, visions of smoky goodness can cause me to drool. The creaminess of the warmed avocado filled with spicy salsa takes me down a country road to memorable experiences of Mexican favorites. The grilled shrimp is enhanced by the savory herbs, adding tangy flavors seductive to the tongue. Not only is this a quick meal or tempting appetizer, it transforms every cook into a gourmet chef. You should try it.

JUMBO SHRIMP OVER AVOCADO

Ingredients:

1 large ripe avocado, halved with pit removed

Fresh lime juice

6 frozen precooked jumbo shrimp, tail on and thawed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup prepared salsa

Dill sprig, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat grill to 400°. In a small dish, combine olive oil, Italian seasoning blend, sea salt, and garlic powder. Mix well; set aside. Squeeze lime juice onto both halves of avocado. Brush each avocado, as well as both sides of the shrimp, with the seasoned olive oil. Place directly onto the grill grates. Close lid. Cook the avocados for 4 minutes, or until slightly charred. Cook the jumbo shrimp for 2 minutes. Then flip the shrimp, close the lid, and cook 2 minutes longer. Transfer all to a platter. Spoon the salsa into the avocados. Arrange 3 jumbo shrimp over each portion. Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill. Serve immediately.

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail! Cocktail sauces can be homemade using a chili sauce base or by using a ketchup base, (or both) which means you probably already have the ingredients on hand. You control the heat; you control the spice. Always begin with a little horseradish so your guests don’t end up red-faced, sneezing, or tears running down their cheeks. The unexpected rush of heat that horseradish can produce can be somewhat unpleasant or highly addictive. Serve it wisely.

JUMBO SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, precooked with tail on

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup chili sauce

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste

Mixed greens

Instructions:

Rinse and drain the shrimp. Pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside. To make the cocktail sauce, combine ketchup, chili sauce, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and wasabi paste. Mix well. Pour cocktail sauce into a serving dish. To assemble the shrimp cocktail, fill the bottom of a large bowl with ice cubes. Add a layer of mixed greens. Arrange the jumbo shrimp onto the mixed greens. Serve chilled with the cocktail sauce.

Jumbo Shrimp Over Avocado

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Jumbo Shrimp Over Avocado! Grill marks on food are like a person’s signature tattoo. I don’t know about you, but when I see that food is slightly charred, visions of smoky goodness can cause me to drool. The creaminess of the warmed avocado filled with spicy salsa takes me down a country road to memorable experiences of Mexican favorites. The grilled shrimp is enhanced by the savory herbs, adding tangy flavors seductive to the tongue. Not only is this a quick meal or tempting appetizer, it transforms every cook into a gourmet chef. You should try it.

JUMBO SHRIMP OVER AVOCADO

Ingredients:

1 large ripe avocado, halved with pit removed

Fresh lime juice

6 frozen precooked jumbo shrimp, tail on and thawed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup prepared salsa

Dill sprig, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat grill to 400°. In a small dish, combine olive oil, Italian seasoning blend, sea salt, and garlic powder. Mix well; set aside. Squeeze lime juice onto both halves of avocado. Brush each avocado, as well as both sides of the shrimp, with the seasoned olive oil. Place directly onto the grill grates. Close lid. Cook the avocados for 4 minutes, or until slightly charred. Cook the jumbo shrimp for 2 minutes. Then flip the shrimp, close the lid, and cook 2 minutes longer. Transfer all to a platter. Spoon the salsa into the avocados. Arrange 3 jumbo shrimp over each portion. Garnish with a sprig of fresh dill. Serve immediately.

Lettuce Cup Shrimp Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Lettuce Cup Shrimp Salad! When you need a boost from the usual lunch menu, treat yourself to an outstanding salad that feels gourmet-worthy. As a shrimp-lover, I already had ideas about serving this to my husband. In my opinion, the bigger the shrimp you can find, the better. Because I saw for myself the seafood deli offered humongous jumbo shrimp (yeah, I know), I couldn’t resist getting a pound to take home. Here’s the secret: oftentimes the market gets specific seafood brought in frozen. Frozen shrimp is usually same-day fresh. They thaw it for the customers and sell it individually or by the pound. I asked the seafood specialist if I could buy a frozen quantity from him. He was more than happy to oblige. Now you know.

LETTUCE CUP SHRIMP SALAD

Ingredients:

1 pound jumbo shrimp, precooked and tails removed

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

1 stalk celery, sliced

2-3 lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry

Red onion, finely sliced, for garnish

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and fresh dill. Gently fold in the precooked shrimp and celery slices. Place a lettuce leaf onto a plate. Scoop shrimp salad on top. Garnish with red onion. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Serve.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter J

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail! No matter how often my husband and I entertain, this choice reigns as Number One with our guests. It is so easy to prepare and the presentation awards it center stage. In addition, I place the appetizer on a pedestal serving stand for great eye appeal. For such a tiny food which carries an impressive response, it truly is an oxymoron. 
JUMBO SHRIMP COCKTAIL 
Ingredients:

1 pound Jumbo Shrimp, cooked and deveined with tail on

1/2 heart Romaine lettuce, shredded

1 12-ounce bottle Chili sauce

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Dash of cracked pepper 
Instructions:

Mix all the sauce ingredients. Blend well. Cover and refrigerate for one hour so flavors can intensify. Meanwhile, fill a chilled glass serving bowl with shredded hearts of romaine. Be sure to leave room for a smaller dish of cocktail sauce to rest in the center of the serving bowl. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange the shrimp around the rim of the bowl to form an attractive fan. Return bowl to the refrigerator to remain chilled until guests arrive. Serve with wooden picks or olive skewers for dipping shrimp into sauce. The romaine is an excellent accent for nibbling.