Spicy Shrimp with Cilantro and Lime

It's official.  I'm obsessed with summertime.
I mean y'all know how much I love the fresh fruit that comes hand-in-hand with this time of year, but seafood is definitely my next favorite.

I came across this recipe by complete happenstance (sorry...who says that word?) and completely fell in love with the spice rub.  I mean whoever thought mixing spicy cayenne pepper with sweet cinnamon was a damn bloody genius.  I used tiny little shrimp that I already had in my freezer, but this recipe would definitely be best with large fresh shrimp!

You can choose to saute them in a pan with a little butter OR just skewer them up and throw them on the grill!  Grilling is definitely the healthier option (and more flavorful in my opinion) so I would highly recommend going that route.  Of course since I live in a tiny apartment and they refuse to allow me to have a grill on my deck, I went ahead and just cooked these on the stove.  But I think putting them on skewers would be amazing and would certainly make for a fabulous presentation, if I do say so myself.

PS I'm moving asap.

Another reason I love summer is because of all the constant plans I have!  My weekends are literally booked through the beginning of September with either lake trips, weddings, concerts or cookouts.  I freaking love my life.  Well this weekend was certainly no exception, Friday night was my friend Cassie's birthday so we headed up to a rooftop bar in Arlington to celebrate.

Great friends, yummy drinks and gorgeous weather,
couldn't ask for a more perfect night.

Then of course Saturday was the Rascal Flatts concert.  Now if you live in Northern Virginia and know anything about Jiffy Lube Live, then you are probably well aware about them banning tailgating last summer.  How can you go to a country concert and not tailgate?!  It's just plain wrong.  Well here's a little fun fact for ya, my boyfriend may or may not have been the one who started the Boycott Jiffy Lube Live tailgating page on Facebook that spurred all the media attention.  After almost 10,000 likes and Jimmy Buffet on board, I'm now happy to say we can finally tailgate again this summer!

No one stands in between partying and my boyfriend.
He made damn sure of that.

We, of course, had such a blast and {as always} Rascal Flatts put on a flawless performance.  Sure Chris' truck lost all air conditioning in 95 degree weather and then broke down on the way to the venue, but we definitely made the best of it and had fun with all our friends.

I also instagrammed out my drink of choice which was Firefly vodka's Skinny Tea mixed with Crystal Light lemonade!  If you haven't tried this yet then it is a MUST, I promise..

No seriously, run out to the store right now. 

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Servings: 4

Serving Size: 6 oz.

Calories: 180

Fat: 3 g

Carbs: 0.5 g

Fiber: 0 g

Protein: 34.5 g

Old Points: 3.9 pts

Points+: 4 pts

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Here are your ingredients:
Recipe adapted from Dinner: A Love Story 

3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges

To make the seasoning, mix together the salt, paprika, cumin, curry powder, cayenne and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over shrimp and toss to combine.

For grilling:  Preheat your grill on medium heat and spray with cooking spray to prevent shrimp from sticking.  Thread shrimp on skewers and place on grill for 1 to 2 minutes (until pink) then turn over and cook an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how you like them.  Squeeze lime juice over top and garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.

For pan frying:  In a large skillet, melt about a tablespoon of light butter over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Shrimp should be opaque throughout.  Squeeze lime juice over top and garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.  Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe  

Also, I'm guest posting over at Steph's Bite by Bite today so head on over and check out the delicious sweet and spicy mango salsa recipe I'm sharing.  It would go absolutely perfect with this dish!

Now go grab a cocktail and fire up the grill!