Sometimes a little imagination can mean the difference between a so-so meal and a special one.
For instance, daydreaming about a trip to a Greek island could lead to a culinary inspiration involving fresh mushrooms and shrimp, bathed in a marinade with the sun-drenched flavors of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano.
For some authentic Greek dishes, please recipes below.
The good news: The dish below can become reality in a matter of minutes, and no travel time is needed. In the recipe, the mushroom-shrimp mixture is grilled, then piled on warm pita and served with a refreshing cucumber-yogurt sauce laced with mint and garlic.
Grilled Lemon Shrimp and Mushrooms
8 ounces fresh white mushrooms
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 medium-sized zucchini, sliced 1 inch thick (about 21/2 cups)
Leave small mushrooms whole; halve larger ones. In a large bowl, place mushrooms, shrimp, zucchini and red onion.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and black pepper, and pour over vegetables; toss until well-coated.
Place vegetables and shrimp on a vegetable grilling rack or a rack in a broiler pan. Grill or broil no more than 6 inches from heat until vegetables and shrimp are just cooked, about 8 minutes, stirring often and brushing occasionally with remaining marinade.
Serve on pitas with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 308 calories, 25gm protein, 16gm fat.
Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or parsley
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and blend well.
Makes about 11/2 cups.
Source: Recipes courtesy of the Mushroom Information Center.
