Grilled BBQ shrimp on a bed of cucumber, tomato, and jalapeno served in romaine lettuce leaves is a light summer meal requiring minimal effort.
I cannot fathom that it is already the end of July. Summer is whizzing by. They always talk about how overscheduled kids are these days. I think the same goes for adults. Community and work commitments have kept me zooming here, there, and everywhere – everywhere except my kitchen that is. I had grand plans for dishes I would make this summer, and so far, that list remains fairly untouched.
Last night was one of the first nights in a while that we were home, had no other plans, and were not completely exhausted. I was able to take a deep breath and create a light summer meal at a relaxed pace. The meal is the result.
Grilled BBQ Shrimp Lettuce Boat Ingredients
Veggies – Summer’s bounty is coming in strong at the farmer’s market so I took full advantage of all the fresh vegetables: Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers, and lettuce.
Protein – When it came to a protein to pair with everything, shrimp seemed to fit the bill for something summery that wouldn’t weigh us down. (And, I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of variations of grilled chicken at the moment.)
BBQ Sauce – Uncle Dougie’s Sweet ‘N Snappy Small Batch Barbecue Sauce from this month’s Degustabox brought it all together. I like the “Uncle Dougie’s No-Crap Commitment.” The sauce is gluten-free with no artificial anything, no high-fructose corn syrup, no MSG, no chemicals, no preservatives, and no GMOs. The Sweet ‘N Snappy is very mild but has a nice flavor. I’m definitely interested in trying one of their bolder, spicier flavored sauces.
Lettuce instead of a bun – To keep this meal refreshing and light I opted to serve this refreshing summery combination of BBQ-sauced vegetables and grilled shrimp in romaine lettuce leaves. Using lettuce instead of a bun made it filling but did not weigh us down.
It was healthy without making us feel like we were missing something. The best part was that while the dish came together quickly, we did not rush and we took the time to savor every bite.
It’s a simple meal. Sometimes we need simplicity in our lives. We need quiet, slow-paced moments where we can connect to not just our food but also ourselves and each other. This meal did more than feed our bellies.
Grilled BBQ Shrimp Lettuce Boats
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
- 4 whole romaine lettuce leaves
- 1 dozen shrimp, deveined and peeled
- 3 tablespoons BBQ Sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl toss together the diced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, minced jalapeno, a pinch of salt and black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the BBQ sauce. Divide the mixture evenly among the four romaine lettuce leaves. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl toss the shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of BBQ sauce. Grill the shrimp over medium-high heat until fully cooked (pink and tightly curled).
- Place three shrimp on top of each vegetable filled lettuce leaf and serve immediately.
Photos by Renato Ghio