Grilled Shrimp with Orzo

Tonight's dinner was inspired by an Italian restaurant here in town. We went there a few weekends ago and I had this dish and it was amazing! Tonight was more of an experiment but we have some guinea pigs...we had a few dinner guests which included brother in law, his girlfriend, and Jeremy (an old neighbor but still a very good friend). Because we all went to college at LSU we have been spoiled with delicious seafood dishes and other southern style cuisines that will leave your mouth watering.  I try to incorporate Louisiana styles into my dishes and with this Shrimp and Orzo dish its easy to combine Cajun and Tuscan flavors.

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4


I am gonna use a grill pan for the shrimp, a saute pan for the vegetables, and medium sized pot for boiling the orzo.



LEMON VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Medium Lemon juiced and zested
• 1/4 cup of EVOO
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Clove of Garlic minced
• 1 TBSP diced Onion
• 1 1/2 TBSP Dried Parsley

PREPARATION:


Add all ingredients to a bowl, whisk heavily until well mixed, let stand in refrigerator until ready to use.



INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 Pound of Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3/4 Pound of Orzo
• 1 Bunch Green Onion
• 1 32oz Box of Chicken Broth
• 1/2 Zucchini (cut into thin slices)
• 1 Cup of Grape Tomatoes
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper diced
• 1 Bunch of Asparagus cut
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 TBSP EVOO

PREPARATION:

Bring a medium sauce pan with 4 QTS (half water and chicken broth) up to a boil, add Orzo and boil uncovered for 9 minutes. Strain, add green onions, stir in 3/4 of the lemon vinaigrette mix, and set aside.

While the Orzo is boiling, lightly oil the grill pan with the EVOO, salt and pepper the shrimp and saute them in 1/2 the remaining lemon vinaigrette until they are pink in color and have nice grill marks on them (approx 4 minutes a side), In a separate saute pan with heated EVOO, add veggies, a pinch of salt and pepper and grill until soft (approx 5-7 min) remove from pan and reserve.

TO SERVE:

Scoop Orzo into bowl and top with Veggies and Shrimp, drizzle with lemon vinaigrette and some lemon zest. Enjoy your colorful and delicious Southern inspired Italian meal.

SOME HELPFUL TIPS:

• You can tell when the veggies are ready when the tomatoes start to open up.
• You can use a Mandolin for the Zucchini and use the medium julienne blade, very fun to do!
• You can substitute some of the veggies for any of your favorite