Grilled Apricot Curry Glazed Shrimp

You know it's hot outside when national weather forecasters declare most of the country as sizzling.  This can only mean two things when it comes to feeding my family. Either we find a place to eat with decent air conditioning or we cook outside using the grill. Honestly, when it's a bazillion degrees hot inside our kitchen (and the rest of our home for that matter), the thought of cooking is downright dreadful. There is something about extreme heat that sucks any motivation to cook right out of me.

However, I'll admit, there is a wonderful sense of family togetherness when we are cooking and eating outdoors sitting closely around our outdoor table. As long as the dishes we prepare do not take much mental effort on my part, they are good.  So good.

Today I am sharing with you a very quick and easy recipe for grilled shrimp. Like with most seafood and various types of meat, the longer the meat marinates the more intense the flavor will be. The marinade for this recipe calls for a minimum of one hour. You could go less, but the you should expect the flavor to be more subtle, which for some people might be a good thing. The curry powder, garam masala, ginger, and cayenne called for in this recipe provide a nice spiced balance to offset the sweetness of the apricot preserves. The cider vinegar gives the glaze a slight tang that neither overpowers nor underwhelms.

This is the type of recipe where you could easily start marinating the shrimp then move on to making a nice salad, cut some fresh fruit, and prepare a nice large pitcher of lemonade or iced tea. By the time the other dishes are ready to be served, the shrimp can go on the grill and be done in about 4 minutes. Although eating out is always fun once in a while, I can always be persuaded to eat at home when grilled shrimp is on the menu.