This balsamic grilled shrimp recipe comes together quickly, especially when you complete some of the steps in advance. It’s the perfect summer weeknight meal. Customize this recipe to your liking with seasonal grilled vegetables, Greek salad, or green beans.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of raw shrimp (I used colossal 13-15 ct)
- 3 tablespoons of Italian dressing (or marinade of your choice)
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon of fresh basil and/or oregano
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 5 oz baby spinach, or one package of frozen spinach
- Fresh corn, cut from 3 cooked ears (I used leftover corn from yesterday’s meal)
- 3 oz crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- Handful of marinated kalamata olives (optional)
- Balsamic glaze, to drizzle on top
For Polenta:
- 1 cup stone-ground polenta
- 4 cups of water, divided
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Peel raw shrimp and toss in Italian dressing. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Half the grape tomatoes and place in a small bowl. Add fresh herbs, olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine, then set aside.
- Cut corn from the cob if you haven’t done so already. Set aside.
- Place spinach in a microwavable dish and cover with a steam lid. Microwave for 3 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Drain any excess water, salt and pepper to taste, then set aside. If you are using frozen spinach, follow package directions to prepare.
- Heat your grill. Spear raw shrimp on metal skewers.* Set aside, and begin making the polenta.
- Make the polenta:Â Â
- Grind the polenta using a food processor (this cuts down on overall cook time!).
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Turn down the heat, then slowly add in the polenta, stirring with a whisk. Add an additional cup of water, then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently until the polenta is creamy.
- While the polenta is cooking, add the shrimp to the grill. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through.
- When the polenta is creamy, remove it from the heat, then add olive oil, salt, and parmesan cheese.*
- Ladle the polenta on each plate, then top with cooked shrimp, wilted spinach, tomato mixture, and corn. Garnish with feta cheese, chopped basil, and a drizzle of balsamic olive oil. Enjoy immediately.
Notes:
- Use two metal skewers, speared parallel through the shrimp, to prevent the shrimp from curling up as they cook.
- Polenta will thicken as it cools. If you need to reheat your polenta, whisk it with hot water or olive oil to regain that creamy texture.
- You can prepare steps 1-3 in advance to save time in this recipe.
This recipe is from Home Chef and OPL Community member Kristina Shane.
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