I love a little heat in my foods. Not the sweat-producing, hyperventilating, nose-running kind of heat. I'm not a masochist. That said, chilies are a great, flavorful way to add both nutrition and an exclamation point to a dish. I can think of no better, more flavorful spice to do this than chipotle. Chipotle is a smoked jalapeno pepper, which ends up being medium hot and wonderfully rich and aromatic. Our Chipotle & Cilantro spice mix is a wonderful salt-free combination of chilies, herbs and spices and it goes particularly well with meats (I love it on grilled foods).

Ingredients:

• 8oz shrimp (I like rock shrimp but any will do)
• 1/2 tablespoon Culinary Collection Seasoned Salt
• 1 tablespoon Culinary Collection Chipotle & Cilantro
• Juice from 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• 6 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 15 minutes.

Assembly:

1. Combine Chipotle & Cilantro, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl.
2. Remove 2 tablespoons of the marinade and set aside.
3. Place shrimp in bowl and poke repeatedly with a fork (helping marinade penetrate) and then add marinade and shrimp to a zip-lock bag. Massage shrimp in bag and then let sit for 1 hour.
4. Remove, wipe off marinade, skewer and season with Seasoned Salt.
5. Place on hot grill and cook quickly on each side, while basting with remaining marinade. Remove when done.

Try adding these shrimp to your favorite salad, serve them with guacamole and use them instead of chips, dice and add them to an omelette, mix with fresh tomatoes, pasta or diced fresh mangoes or fresh fruit salsa. They are flavor-packed bites and addictive. Try substituting shrimp with a 2" dice of firm-fleshed fish like ahi tuna (or really, any other meat).

Chipotle peppers are good a source of Vitamin C, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Iron, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Riboflavin. Cilantro is very high in Vitamins C and K, among other vitamins and minerals and of course limes are very high in Vitamin C. It is true that shrimp are higher in cholesterol than most other meats but they are a very good source of protein and they are high in vitamins and minerals.