Grilled Jerk Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers

Up next in my summer grilling adventures I head down south to the Caribbean for some grilled Jamaican jerk shrimp using a tasty homemade jerk marinade. Jamaican jerk spice comes in the form of a spice blend a paste or a marinade and its main ingredients are allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, green onions, thyme, nutmeg and garlic. I like to make my own jerk marinate from scratch and although the list of ingredients may be long it is super simple to make and you should have most of the ingredients in your pantry already. This jerk shrimp is as easy to make as marinating the shrimp in the jerk marinade, skewering it and grilling it! Jerk spice is typically on the spicy side so I like to serve it with fresh fruits or salsas, especially in the summer! The only thing that is better than fresh fruit is grilled fresh fruit so why not throw something like pineapple or peaches onto the skewer along with the shrimp for grilling? It is hard to beat grilled meat on a stick for summer entertaining but throw some fruit into the mix and you have to have one of the most perfect appetizers around!

Hot and spicy jerk shrimp along with sweet and juicy pineapple on a stick is a fabulous combo!

Grilled Jerk Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers

Prep Time: 10 minutes Marinate Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutesTotal Time: 40 minutes Servings: 4

Spicy grilled jerk marinated shrimp and sweet and juicy pineapple skewers!

ingredients

· 1 pound (20-25 or 16-20) shrimp, peeled and deveined

· 1/2 cup jerk marinade

· 2 slices pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

directions

1. Marinate the shrimp in the the half of the jerk marinade for at least 20 minutes and up to over night, skewer the shrimp and pineapple and grill over medium-high heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 182, Fat 3g (Saturated 0g, Trans 0g), Cholesterol 239mg, Sodium 408mg, Carbs 11g (Fiber 0.6g, Sugars 5.7g), Protein 27g

Jerk Marinade

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Servings: 4

A quick and easy homemade jerk marinade!

ingredients

· 1+ scotch bonnet pepper

· 2 cloves garlic

· 1 tablespoon ginger, grated

· 2 green onions

· 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped

· 1 tablespoon allspice

· 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

· 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

· 1 teaspoon pepper

· 1 tablespoon brown sugar

· 1 tablespoon oil

· 2 tablespoons white vinegar

· 2 tablespoons soy sauce

· 1 tablespoon dark rum

· 1/2 orange, juice and zest

· 1 lime, juice and zest

directions

1. Puree everything in a food processor.

Tip: Scotch bonnet peppers can be a little hot so you may want to start by adding half a pepper, test the heat level and continue adding more until the marinade is as hot as you want.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 77, Fat 3g (Saturated 0.3g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 0, Sodium 455mg, Carbs 8g (Fiber 1g, Sugars 4g), Protein 1g

SOURCE: http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/08/grilled-jerk-shrimp-and-pineapple.html