When grilling shrimp...

When talking about grilled seafood, a lot of people tend to think of shrimp.  And Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby think that's exactly the way it should be!  Both Chris and John are the authors behind the new cookbook, Big Grill Flavor. Both stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about their recipe for shrimp tacos.  They told Tonia to grill those shrimp, then use diced fresh corn tortillas, and pineapple. Chris and John say that enhances the sweetness, and adds a smokey aspect to many foods.  Chop up the pineapple and add to the shrimp inside the tortilla.  If it sounds complicated, it's not! Chris and John say one of the unique aspects of the book, is how it's laid out.  It's an effort to make things as simple as possible, so you spend less time preparing, and more time enjoying!

GRILLED SHRIMP TACOS with AVO CADO

and GRILLED PINEAPPLE

Tacos a la Playa: Born on the beach in Costa Rica, this is among our very favorite lunch dishes. Vamos, amigos!

PREP

While the fire heats up, combine in a large bowl:

1 cup shredded cabbage

2 avocados, diced medium

Next, place in separate small containers:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chiles of your choice

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 or 3 limes)

GRILL

When the fire is ready, put on the grill right above the coals:

1 dozen 6-inch corn tortillas

3 (1-inch-thick) slices fresh pineapple, peeled and cored

Grill the tortillas for just 30 seconds

per side to heat, then put them aside; grill the pineapple until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. When the pineapple comes

off the grill, cut it into medium dice and put into the large bowl

Now follow step 2 of the recipe for Super-Basic Grilled Shrimp on page 147.

TOSS

When the shrimp come off the grill, slide them off the skewers into the bowl with the cabbage mixture, add all the other prepped ingredients, and toss like crazy. Season to taste and serve with the grilled tortillas.

Super-Basic

GRILLED SHRIMP

2 pounds large shrimp (16/20 per pound) peeled and deveined, tails left on

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Build a two-level fire in your grill, which means you put all the coals on one side of the grill and leave the other side free of coals. When the flames have died down, all the coals are covered with gray ash, and the temperature is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 6 inches above the grill for 3 to 4 seconds), you’re ready to cook.

Thread the shrimp onto skewers, about 6 per skewer. Drizzle the shrimp with the olive oil and sprinkle them generously with the salt and pepper, then place them on the grill directly over the coals and cook until slightly charred and golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. To check for doneness, cut into one of the shrimp at its thickest point and peek inside to be sure it is opaque throughout.

Serve hot.

| Serves 8 as an appetizer, 4 as an entrée