Themed Potlucks: Tipsy Grilling

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Our bocce team, Joanie Loves Bocce, played the team Too Tipsy last week, winning all three games.

Since Too Tipsy is an offshoot of the team, Tipsy Moonshiners, we were all too happy to play. The Tipsy Moonshiners food theme was “Commandeer the Grill!” so they could prepare the team’s grillables courtside.

Thus, our food theme became “Tipsy Grilling.”
(Got that? Whew.)

I made a Tipsy grilled summer side dish that worked for our family (even Nora Lea ate a bowl).

Tipsy Grilled Tequila Shrimp Salad

Ingredients
1 box plain coucous
1 pound shelled, raw shrimp
1/4 cup Tequila
Zest of one orange
Juice of one orange
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 16 ounce bag of frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 bunch green onions, whites and greens chopped fine
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped small
1/4 cup good olive oil
Juice from one more orange
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Cook the couscous per the package instructions. Set aside to cool.

Zest the orange and add to a bowl with raw shrimp. Add Tequila, the juice from one orange and the two tablespoons of olive oil.

Let the shrimp sit in the Tequila marinade for at least 20 minutes but no more than an hour.

Heat grill pan.

Add shrimp and cook until grill marks would indicate that it’s done. Remove from the grill.
Add the grilled shrimp to couscous.
Add corn kernels.
Add half the green onions and half the chopped cilantro.
Add the olive oil and juice from the second orange.
Add the salt and pepper. Taste, check to make sure there’s not too much of anything. Adjust seasonings.

Toss gently until well-incorporated.
Sprinkle the top with the rest of the cilantro and green onions.
It’s a perfect side dish to grilled meat.

(Not to mention, it’s a good potluck dish and the ingredients are available all year round.)

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