Oh snap! This is the second shrimp recipe that I’ve posted in two weeks. This past weekend I didn’t go grocery shopping like I normally do. I was parked on the couch Friday and early Saturday and was in, what Robert and I like to call, full sloth mode. I wandered out to the garage  freezer in an attempt to find ingredients for making dinner on Sunday and found a pot of gold… a bag of frozen gulf shrimp my parents brought us back from Alabama.

I decided to spice things up-literally- by using a simple cajun rub over the shrimp. After that, I simply roasted them in the oven Ina Garten-style; and, VOILA! a mound of sizzling shrimp lay before us on the kitchen table.

Robert adored this variation of shrimp. The mix of chili powder and cayenne pepper gave the seafood a nice kick that did a great job of clearing up one’s sinuses. Best of all, this method of preparing shrimp is gloriously simple.

Happy leap day, everyone!

Cajun Roasted Shrimp

Printable Version

Yield: 2-4 servings

Ingredients

• 2lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails left on
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Olive or vegetable oil
• Fresh lemon wedges

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with spray oil. Set aside.

2. Place the peeled and deveined shrimp in a medium-sized bowl. Toss with a small amount of oil.

3. Combine the seasonings and garlic in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the shrimp and toss with your hands to coat evenly.

4. Transfer the shrimp to the cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through.

5. Remove from oven and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the shrimp. Serve with cocktail sauce, if desired.

Source: Adapted from Ina Garten