Hot Flavors - Grilled BBQ Shrimp with Coconut Rice

I got inspired to make coconut rice from a lamb recipe that I read about in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. Wanting to vary our ground meat repertoire (we already had beef burgers and turkey burgers that week), I decided to use shrimp instead of lamb. Coconut encouraged me to incorporate other summer flavors--and that for me means BBQ sauce, fresh limes and spices. Introducing...my Grilled BBQ Shrimp with Coconut Rice.

Dan and I enjoyed the sweet/hearty mix of flavors--the freshness from the lime and the parsley brought the dish further to life. It takes about a half hour to make and is a no muss no fuss kind of meal. I strongly recommend it - the only stipulation is to use good, fresh shrimp (none of that pre-cooked stuff).

Grilled BBQ Shrimp with Coconut Rice (Serves 2)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of fresh shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
A glug of plain maple syrup (about 1 tbs)
A glug or two of good BBQ sauce (about 1-2 tbs). I used Blue Smoke BBQ sauce, which is tangy and slightly mustardy
1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 fresh lime, quartered
Salt and pepper to taste
Good olive oil or vegetable oil to spread on shrimp and on the grill

Directions:
Combine maple syrup with bbq sauce and taste it to make sure that you like the flavor - it should be slightly sweet and tangy. If you like it sweet, add more maple syrup, if you like it tangier add more bbq sauce.

Brush oil thinly on shrimp on both sides. Season with salt and pepper on both sides and then spread bbq/maple concoction on both sides.

Place on a hot, oiled grill or grill pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. Make sure to watch the shrimp closely, as to not let it overcook.

Coconut Rice - follow this easy recipe. I did not use any of the optional ingredients. Make sure to watch the rice, as it has a tendency to burn at the bottom. I'd recommend cooking it for 5 minutes less than what the recipe suggests.

Place coconut rice on the bottom of a medium bowl. Top with bbq shrimp and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Squeeze fresh lime juice on top. Feast and enjoy!