This past week, I tried out a pescatarian diet to see how I'd feel. But that got abandoned quickly when I had the idea to make Paleo a dish I used to enjoy when I was in college: Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Stuffed with Pineapple, Green Pepper and "Cheese." And boy am I glad I did!
This recipe is making me a "bacon makes everything better" believer. After being pescatarian for a week, eating bacon totally made fireworks go off in my brain. But I totally had been craving this recipe. I had to make it.
You see, when I was in college, I used to spend my summers on South Padre Island, Texas with a big group of friends. I have some very fond memories of those summers. What an amazing time in my life! But at least once every summer, we used to cook a seafood feast for ourselves. My one friend, who was an SPI native, knew his way around the kitchen when it came to shrimp. By far, the crowd favorite was bacon wrapped shrimp with pineapple, green pepper and cream cheese. It was SO delicious, and that's what I've been craving lately.
So I set out to Paleo-ize that summer favorite. I guess I'm putting a pause on the whole pescatarian thing. But I disgress. To make this recipe Paleo, the main issue really was the cheese. If you are primal, feel free to substitute the nut cheese for cream cheese. I just don't do well with dairy myself, so I was thankful to find the Treeline brand of nut cheeses. Blog post review soon to follow! But spoiler alert, I love, love love their French-style nut cheeses! Treeline products really satisfy that unique dairy taste for me without the negative digestive consequences I'd normally suffer. Oh and they have probiotics. Score!
Back to the recipe. I'm really proud of this one, guys. It's one of those recipes that is so delicious, I feel all smug about it being Paleo too. One need not sacrifice flavor or taste on Paleo. This is my Paleo mantra.
You could totally make these as an appetizer or as a main course. After you try them, I think you'll find plenty of reasons to make them again. Hope you all enjoy! --J
Paleo Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
by
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 14 to 18 minutes
Keywords: bake roast appetizer entree snack ancestral gluten-free paleo primal soy-free Shrimp Bacon Nut Cheese Christmas Easter Mardis Gras Super Bowl Thanksgiving picnic American fall spring summer winter
Ingredients (Serves 3 to 4)
- 12 pieces of nitrate-free, uncured bacon
- 12 jumbo/large tail on shrimp, thawed, cleaned and deveined
- 1/2 cup of green pepper (approximately) cut into 12 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup of pineapple, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup of nut cheese (I use Treeline brand, scallion-flavored)
- olive oil
- sea salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet for the bacon to cook. I like to line with aluminum foil when I cook bacon because of the grease.
Also while the oven is preheating, if you haven't already, prepare the pineapple and green pepper, cutting into 12, 1-inch pieces.
When the oven is preheated, place the strips of bacon on the roasting pan and roast for 6 to 8 minutes just until the bacon starts to brown. The bacon should only be partially cooked. Leave the oven on at 450 degrees.
When the bacon is slightly browned, remove from oven and place on paper towel lined plate to drain the grease.
Place the shrimp in a bowl and lightly salt and add oil to coat it.
Assemble the stuffed shrimp by putting shrimp on the bottom, then a slice of pineapple, then a teaspoon of the nut cheese, and then the green pepper. Wrap a slice of bacon around the shrimp and stuffing and secure with a toothpick, going through the bacon, the shrimp, the green pepper, cheese, pineapple, and through the other side of the bacon again.
Repeat that process with the remainder of the shrimp and cook in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the shrimp is turned pink and is cooked through.
Remove from the oven and enjoy!
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