Memorial Day Weekend Grillin'...the starter!

Ahh, Memorial Day Weekend...it's a time synonymous with grilling.  Last night, we went over to our neighbor's house (The Simpsons) for dinner.  I brought my famous shrimp bruschetta as an appetizer.  I felt bad because I was a little unorganized and running late so I didn't have them for us snack on while grilling, but they were a hit!  We had a good time last night, and I look forward to our next joint grilling adventure!

Today, Rick was at his new place and unpacking the smaller loads that he's been taking over there.  I chilled inside today (tried to nap but failed miserably) and finished up the latest Southern Vampire Mystery that I've been reading.  Hello, new addiction!  For dinner tonight, Rick and I are grilling out (again).  I picked up some delicious looking steak kabobs at Publix as well as some zucchini to go with them.  For starters, I decided to make a smoky pecan relish that I found while flipping through the latest issue of Southern Living to serve with some grilled shrimp.  I apologize for not having pictures, but they were gone before I could get one!  They were the perfect little snack while we did the rest of our meal. I really like what we did with the shrimp--much more flavorful than what we normally do. I can foresee us making them a lot this summer!  (The relish goes great with Triscuits, too!)

Here's what we did....

Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 clove of garlic, pressed

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Lemon pepper seasoning

1/2 lemon

Directions

Prior to peeling and deveining shrimp, soak bamboo kabobs in water (should soak for at least an hour).  In a medium bowl, mix shrimp, olive oil, garlic, and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning.  Thread shrimp on to kabobs.  Just prior to put on the grill, squeeze lemon juice over the kabobs.  

Heat grill to medium and grill shrimp.



Smoky Pecan Relish
Ingredients
1 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained
1 glove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoonsalt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup recipe ready pecan pieces


Directions
Combine all ingredients but the pecans into a food processor and process until finely chopped.  Add pecans and pulse 10 times.  


Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.  It can be kept for up to one week.


Enjoy!