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Shrimp will have you dreaming of Greece

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.

8 ounces fresh white mushrooms

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 medium-sized zucchini, sliced 1 inch thick (about 21/2 cups)

1 medium-sized red onion cut in 8 wedges

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 pitas, warmed

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (recipe below)

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 8 minutes.

Preheat outdoor grill or broiler until hot.

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.

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.