Saturday night Surf and Cluck Dinner

It has been a little slow at the Cafe recently. Work has been getting in the way of my blogging, but it does pay for our slice of paradise on Lake Huron. Speaking of East of the Equator, we had a Surf and Cluck dinner last night: Margarita Grilled Shrimp and Cajun Chicken.

From East of the Equator, Summer 2011

 Here are the recipes:

Margarita Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:

- 1lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined - 3 T fresh chopped cilantro

- 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1/4 t ground red pepper

- 2 T fresh lime juice - 1/4 t salt (optional)

- 3 T olive oil - 5-6 bamboo skewers, soaked in water

- 2 T tequila for 1 hour

1. Combine the shrimp, garlic lime juice, olive oil, tequila, cilantro, red pepper and salt in a bowl and mix. Cover and place in a refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

2. Prepare an outdoor grill. When the charcoal is ready, drain the marinade from the shrimp and discard. Thread the shrimp on the skewers,

3. Cook the shrimp on the grill until the shrimp turn pink, 3-4 minutes per side

Cook's Notes: I cooked the shrimpies for ~ 6 minutes and they turned out great. next time, I will add more red pepper. This recipe is a keeper.

Cajun Chicken

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup olive oil - Garlic powder to taste

- 2 1/2 t Cajun seasoning - 2 1/2 t lemon pepper

- 2 1/2 t dried Italian seasoning - 4 skinless chicken breasts

1. In a shallow bowl, mix the oil, Cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and lemon pepper. Place the chicken in the dish and turn the breasts to coat them in the marinade. Cover and place in a refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. Prepare an outdoor grill. When the charcoal is ready, remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.

3. Place the chicken breasts on the grill and cook until done, 8-10 minutes per side.

Cook's Notes: This was an incredibly easy dish to make and it was delicious. For Cajun seasoning, I used Emeril's Essence. Also, I had never heard of "Italian seasoning" until I saw this recipe. Conveniently, I found a bottle of Italian Seasoning at Meijers. After the chicken was done, I placed the breasts on a plate and covered them with aluminum foil and I allowed the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before I served them. I will definitely make this recipe again!


We washed it down with a delightful wine.  

From East of the Equator, Summer 2011

Cheers from East of the Equator!