Chili, Lime and Garlic Grilled Shrimp

In the South, nothing says summer like shrimp.... you know Forrest Gump: Lemon Shrimp, boiled shrimp, BBQ Shrimp, Shrimp Etouffee.... do I need to go on? You can make a marinade for your shrimp out of just about anything. Toss it in a Ziploc bag and let them swim around for a while, then grill those babies up.... nothing better! Here's a quick summer shrimp recipe that you can make for a party or for supper for two on the deck.... it will make you feel like you've taken a trip to the beach, even if you didn't! I like to serve this one with a super cold beer with a lime squeezed in to cut the heat of the chili. Sooo good!

CHILI LIME & GARLIC GRILLED SHRIMP

Ingredients

6 limes (zest and juice 3-4, save the others for garnish)

4 cloves garlic , minced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Dash cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes

2 pounds large shrimp , peeled and deveined (I leave the tails on-- or you CAN leave the peel on)

1/4 cup cilantro , chopped

Directions

Zest three limes and juice them.  You'll want about 1 tablespoon of lime zest and one 1/2 cup lime juice.  Place all ingredients into a large Ziploc bag. Toss and refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before grilling. Thread skewers with 4 to 5 shrimp each. Remember- if you use wooden skewers, you need to soak them in water for an hour before you put them on the fire. Shrimp are DONE when they just turn pink. Any more heat will make them tough! Light your grill or heat your grill pan to medium. When coals are medium-hot or grill pan is heated, put the shrimp on a paper towel to absorb the excess marinade. Place the skewers on the heat. Grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side, just until curled and pink in color. Remove from grill and slide off skewers. Serve with a squeeze of lime over cilantro lime rice or just with some nice crusty bread.

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, COCKTAILS, CONTESTS, AND IDEAS!

Easy Entertaining: How to Make a Lemonade Station

Think old-school lemonade stand meets fun, fabulous mix-ins to create a new spin on that old summer standard. Lemonade is a great drink for summer parties. Whether you make it fresh, buy it at the store, or use a powdered mix, it's hard to go wrong with cold lemonade on a hot day. Here are some of my fun ideas to dress up your lemonade by making a lemonade station- an adult version of the old-school lemonade stand- perfect for any party,  wedding, rehearsal dinner, or supper club!

Making a lemonade stand doesn't require a lot of wood and building, a simple table will work. Recently, I wanted to show Daytime Alabama viewers how to make a lemonade stand for a large party or wedding and asked my friends Corey & Jared from the Sonnet House to help me out. Corey decked out the table and I did the lemonades. Burlap from the fabric store, Mason jars, and large containers of lemonade, cute paper straws, and a big sign are all you need.

 

THE HOW-TO

Start with large containers or pitchers of lemonade. Add bowls of your favorite flavors: think spices, fruit, herbs, liquor, or even Kool-Aid mixes for the kids. Be creative. Almost anything tastes good with lemonade as the base!

When I am in a hurry or on the road without a kitchen, I buy pre-made lemonade from the store. If I am in the South, I often get the  Chic-fil-A's gallon lemonade to go. Those are my favorites if I cannot make my own. And let me tell you, if you use the CountryTime mix, add the juice of two lemons and lots of lemon slices into it, guests won't know it's not fresh. Do what you can... I prefer the fresh when time, budget, and location allows:) 

I always put out a little menu board to give guests some ideas of flavors that work well together. I write them on a chalkboard but you can write or print recipes.

BASIC LEMONADE RECIPE

 It's really simple. Four cups of water to one cup fresh squeezed lemon juice plus 1/2 cup of sugar. That's it!

To make enough for 4-5 servings:

2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 cup sugar (more to taste if you like it really sweet)

7-8 cups water

In a pitcher, add the sugar and the lemon juice and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add the water and chill.

Serving Tips:On a hot day, I will use 1 cup less water because I know the lemonade will become diluted with the melting ice. Often, I will freeze lemonade into ice cubes or freeze large plastic containers of lemonade. I put the lemonade into a large plastic milk jug or other repurposed plastic bottle. Freeze solid. A few hours before the party, I remove them from the freezer and allow them to become slushy. Soooo good on a hot day!

MIX-INS AND OPTIONS FOR A LEMONADE STATION

Mint leaves

Basil leaves

Strawberries, sliced plus strawberry puree

Raspberries

Watermelon slices plus watermelon puree

Peach slices plus peach nectar (find it in a can in the international aisle of the store)

Lime wheels

Lemon wheels

Sweet Tea

Grenadine

Vodka - I usually include a plain vodka and one flavored, like citrus or raspberry flavored

Chambord Liqueur

Bourbon

Pama Liqueur

VARIATIONS ON THE CLASSIC LEMONADE RECIPE

PINK LEMONADE

Perfect for kids and adults, too!

Add a tablespoon of Grenadine to the basic recipe. Stir well to color your lemonade bright pink. If you want a soft pink color, for a baby shower, for example, use less grenadine.

ARNOLD PALMER

Half iced tea, half lemonade.

ARNOLD PALMER WITH SPIKES

Add a shot of vodka (I use citrus flavored) to your Arnold Palmer.

CHERRY LEMONADE

Add 1 ounce cherry vodka, 3 maraschino cherries and a 1 teaspoon cherry juice to each glass of lemonade. Add a squeeze of lime.

PEACH TEA LEMONADE

1/3 each peach nectar, sweet tea, and classic lemonade per serving.

MINT INFUSED LEMONADE

Add a big handful of fresh mint leaves to the sugar and one cup of the water. Make a simple syrup- bring to a boil, reduce the heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, allow to cool completely. Strain into the pitcher and add the lemon juice and the remaining water.  

POMEGRANATE LEMONADE

Add a shot of Pama Liqueur. Yummmmy!

RASPBERRY LEMONADE

Basic Lemonade recipe

One container of fresh raspberries (I like to use Driscoll's because they are always FRESH!)

3/4 cup Chambord Liqueur 

1 tablespoon grenadine (optional but pretty!)

1 ounce vodka per glass (I like the new Chambord Pink vodka but you can use plain)

Save a few raspberries for extra garnish. Soak the remainder in the Chambord for an hour. Then add the raspberries in the liqueur plus the grenadine to your chilled lemonade. Stir. To serve, put one ounce vodka in each glass. Fill with ice. Top with the raspberry lemonade.  

RASPBERRY VANILLA LEMONADE

This version uses vanilla simple syrup, fresh raspberries and fresh lemonade. Add raspberry vodka, Chambord and some club soda for fizz. Get the recipe...

KENTUCKY LEMONADE

Put  4 fresh mint leaves into the bottom of the glass. Add a little ice. Use a wooden spoon to bruise the mint with the ice. Add 1 1/2 ounces Kentucky bourbon and fill the glass with lemonade. My Kentucky bourbon of choice right now is Four Roses. Their Yellow Label is perfect for this drink... side note, the single barrel is really good on it's own.

VANILLA BEAN PLANTATION LEMONADE

When making the classic lemonade, omit the sugar and one cup water and use it to make a simple syrup.  Make the vanilla infused simple syrup by adding one vanilla bean, slit it down the center, scrape the seeds and add to one cup of the water and the sugar. Bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat down to low and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool completely. Add remaining water and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Read the full blog post on this delicious summer treat!

Click here to get the recipe for my Strawberry Basil Lemonade, too!

Want to take your lemonade to another level? Try making your own Italian lemon liqueur... Limoncello!

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, IDEAS, AND CONTESTS!

Martie Knows Grilling: Cedar Planked Salmon

Perfect for easy entertaining, this salmon recipe will be one you go to when you really want people to think you've fussed... and you'll be smiling because you know you didn't!  You can plank and grill any fish, but salmon delivers the best results to me. Enjoy!

Cedar Planked Salmon

Cedar Planks ( I like one for each guest-- I serve right on the plank-- make sure to put something underneath because it will be charred on the bottom)

4 Salmon fillets (make sure any bones and skin are removed)

1/2 cup Olive Oil plus 1 tablespoon for the planks

1/2 teaspoon each salt & pepper

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Coleman's Dry Mustard

1 tablespoon butter, room temp

Get cedar planks from your favorite culinary store, Lowe's, World Market or even Target. Look in the BBQ section. Soak your planks in water at least two hours before grilling. I've added a little bourbon to my soak and once I even added Tabasco. Didn't seem to do much to the flavor.

Next, while your planks are soaking, get your trusty Ziploc bag; add all ingredients except the salmon. Squish all of the ingredients around and add the salmon about an hour before grilling. Keep it chilled until grilling.

Heat coals to medium-high heat (hold your hand over for a 3 count) Remove the planks from soaking. Place on the grill to dry slightly and then lightly rub planks with a little olive oil to keep fish from sticking. Remove the fish from marinade and place on the planks. Top with a lemon slice if you like. Grill with the top closed for 12-20 minutes (despending on the size and thickness of your fish) or until the salmon flakes easily. Mist any flare ups or if the edges of the plank start to catch fire.

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, IDEAS, AND CONTESTS!

Weekend Cocktail: Belfast Lemonade (Irish Whiskey Lemonade)

There are a lot of green drinks and beer drinks out there for St. Patrick's Day... But this year, I wanted a signature cocktail for our St. Paddy's Party that was definately Irish, but a little "girly" since we were also celebrating our lovely friend Jessica's birthday! The cocktail I came up with got a big thumbs up from the guys and the girls alike; it will be perfect for your spring and summer BBQ's, lake parties, and yes, even wedding celebrations! Since Bushmills, my favorite Irish whiskey, is made close to the Irish city of Belfast, I named it Belfast Lemonade. I used just a little Limoncello to smooth out the cocktail, but it is very good without it if you want to keep your cost down.

Give it a try! Oh, and happy birthday, sweet Jessica!

Irish whiskey, freshly squeezed lemonade and a little lemon liqueur makes this cocktail perfect for spring and summer entertainingBELFAST LEMONADE

Makes 1

4 ounces fresh lemonade

1 1/2 ounces Bushmills Irish Whiskey

1/2 ounce Limoncello

Mix and serve in a tall glass over ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint or a lemon wheel.

For a crowd:

Serves 15+ guests depending on serving size

1 gallon fresh lemonade

1 bottle (750ml) Bushmills Irish Whiskey

2 cups Limoncello or other lemon liqueur

Add more or less whiskey to your taste. Mix ingredients in a large dispenser. Add lots of ice to the dispenser but also provide clean ice along side the dispenser because the drink tastes best served over ice. If it is a hot day, make sure to freeze lemonade and use that in place of the ice so you don't water down or dilute the drink. Add mint or lemon wheels to the dispenser to add some color and style to the presentation.

Cheers! And as always, drink responsibly!!

Martie's Super Southern Sliders

MARTIE’S SUPER SOUTHERN SLIDERS

My spin on Wolfgang’s extravagant Oscar sliders. It’s hardly worth firing up the grill for these. A griddle, cast iron skillet, or grill pan works even better.

Serves 8

Photo: Tamika Moore/The Birmingham NewsIngredients

1 ½ pounds ground beef 

 Pinch each, Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to season

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Slider buns or any mini buns; rolls or bread will do

Butter

Super Fast Remoulade Sauce (recipe below)

Condiments

Cherry tomatoes, sliced

Aged cheddar cheese, sliced

Red onion, sliced ultra thin

Dill pickles, sliced thin

Put the ground beef in a bowl and add salt and pepper. Use your hands to combine. Form into patties using about 2-3 tablespoons of the beef for each one. Drizzle the patties with olive oil and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make the Remoulade. Then, prepare the buns by slicing them in half and lightly buttering each side.

Heat your pan or pre-heat your griddle to 400 degrees. Put patties on the grill; cook 3 minutes on the first side. Flip, and top with the cheese, allowing it to melt. While the patties are cooking, lightly brown the buns by toasting them on the grill.

Top each bun with a little of the Remoulade, a burger, red onion slice, arugula leaves, tomato, and a slice of pickle.

 SUPER FAST REMOULADE SAUCE

 Ingredients

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon minced garlic

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon sweet relish (I used Wickle’s relish and it was delicious!)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together to blend. Chill until needed. Makes enough for about 24 sliders. Will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.