Herb Pesto Shrimp with Lemon

Are you a seafood lover? I am! Living in the Pacific Northwest, we have access to a great variety of fresh seafood and I take full advantage of it. I don't think there's a fish or shellfish that's come out of the ocean that I've tried and didn't like. Shrimp is one of my go-to items from the sea, and last week I made these herb pesto shrimp to take to one of our hula dance practice nights. We have formal "dance workshops" and practices for our halau (hula school/group), but on some Fridays, we have a hula practice "social" where it's more informal and we get together to eat and practice the dances we recently learned or are about to perform somewhere. It's fun because we get to dance, eat, and socialize, which happens to be a few of my favorite things to do. :)

This is one of those recipes that I just sort of throw together whatever I have and add a little of this or that until it tastes good. This is the first time I've actually written it down so it will be nice to have a recipe to follow because this one turned out really flavorful and delicious. I also like that it only takes 10 minutes to make. As an appetizer, these are best served slightly cooled or room temperature rather than piping hot. Serve with toothpicks or napkins since they can be a little messy. You can also add them to pasta that's been tossed in butter, garlic, and parmesan for a meal.

Since I was running a little late for practice and threw this dish together right before I left, I only had time to snap one quick pic of it. Green pesto covered shrimp may not photograph very pretty but it sure does taste good!

Herb Pesto Shrimp with Lemon
Printable version

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove
1 cup basil leaves
1 scallion / green onion, white end removed, cut in large pieces
2-3 T. Italian parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 T. pine nuts or cashews (I usually have cashews on hand so tend to use that more)
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
Pinch of sugar (I use Stevia)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. uncooked large shrimp, tail on (you can use cooked too, just cook it for less time, about a minute each side; you can also used tail-off shrimp if you prefer)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (or whole lemon if it's small or not very juicy)

In a small food processor (I use my Magic Bullet), make the pesto for this dish as follows: Add garlic clove, basil, scallion, parsley, lemon zest, nuts, 1/4 cup of olive oil, Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of sugar or other sugar substitute you prefer. Pulse to chop ingredients, then blend together. If it's too thick, add more olive oil. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. It might be a little strong tasting at this point, but it will mellow with cooking.

Add 1 T. olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes each side until cooked through. Add the pesto to the pan, toss, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until pesto is heated through. Add lemon juice at the end and stir. Check once more for seasonings and salt and pepper if needed.