Here is how you can use rosemary leaves to spice up your shrimp and the actual twigs to skewer them for a fun presentation. This recipe allows you to cook the shrimp inside on a cast iron skillet or in your large omelet pan. Dinner can be served within 15 minutes if you ask the seafood department to peel and devein the shrimp. An extra $2 is worth it to me to not have to do it at home.

You can grill the shrimp but make sure you soak the rosemary sprigs in water first to prevent them from catching on fire. Some of the twigs hung over the edge of my skillet and started to burn so be careful!

You can also use rosemary skewers for lamb, red meat, chicken and vegetables. I just removed the leaves of 5 pounds of rosemary to make a batch of salts and have plenty of long sprigs to share with friends and family. If you need any, please let me know. I can bring them to carpool or the play ground.

Directions

1) Remove the leaves from 15 rosemary sprigs. Chop only one or two sprigs for the recipe and save the remaining rosemary leaves for another recipe. You can roast a rosemary lemon chicken, make rosemary shortbread or mix in mashed potatoes.

2) Mix the 1 1/2 teaspoons of rosemary with 1/4 cup of good olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, the juice from one lime ( 1 1/2 tablespoons), 3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro or 2 tablespoons cilantro purée, 1 teaspoon of Oregano and Sage French Grey salt or 1 tablespoon dried oregano with a pinch of Margarita Himalayan salt or sea salt, and a pinch or two of black pepper to taste.You can add 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder but I only used 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon since my kids do not love spice. It had plenty of kick with half the chipotle powder. Toss in the shrimp and coat all sides. Marinade for 5 minutes. Do not marinade longer or the lime will cook the shrimp.

3) Heat your skillet on high. Skewer 2 or 3 shrimp per rosemary sprig. Add the skewered shrimp and pour some of the marinade over the shrimp for extra flavor. Cook for one minute and then flip over to cook the other side for one minute. The shrimp will turn an orange-pink color. Use tongs to flip the skewer so you do not burn your arms. The hot oil will pop.

4) Serve warm with lime wedges. You can also add some freshly grated lime zest for more lime flavor. For an entree portion, serve on a bed of rice or corn relish. These shrimp go really well with butternut squash soup.

 To serve this as an appetizer, place some lime wedges in between the shrimp for color.

Why You Want to Eat This!

• Rosemary can improve your circulation, concentration, memory, digestion, and immune system due to the beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. Fresh rosemary contains 25% more manganese than dried. Due to the amount of water in fresh rosemary, there is less calcium and iron per serving. I would not worry about it in this recipe with all the rosemary oil from the leaves and stems.
• Oregano contains the essential oils thymol and carvacrol which inhibit bacterial growth. Oregano can help with staph infections and Giardia, an intestinal infection found in stagnant water. In fact, research shows oregano is more effective at curing Giardia than the most commonly prescribed drug.
• Cilantro cleanses the body, has immune boosting abilities, is a good source of fiber, iron and magnesium, aids digestion, and does so much more. I have a whole post on cilantro and why you should include it more in your diet.
• Shrimp is rich in tryptophan and omega-3 fats as well as “at least two unique antioxidants in its nutrient composition: the xanthophyll carotenoid called astaxanthin, and the mineral selenium.” (read more) Astaxanthin is getting special attention for its anti-inflammatory properties especially when focusing on diabetes and colon cancer. Selenium is important for cardiovascular health, cognitive function and lowering depression. Make sure you are buying wild shrimp versus farm unless your know the farmer. Try spot prawns from British Columbia if you can.
• Read this article if you avoid shrimp because of cholesterol. You may change your mind!

Recipe adapted from this recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid and featured on the Today Show

References:

https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=75
https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=107
https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=332