Gazpacho, and Smoked Paprika Shrimp

Good lord, it’s hot.

But we still have to eat, evidently.

Aside from Frozen Grapes in Ice Water, Gazpacho (garnished with Smoked Paprika Shrimp, of course) is one of the coolest dinners I know. AND, you can actually serve this to company if you have any. You can make the gazpacho and shrimp ahead, chill yourself in a cold bubble bath, and serve dinner indoors with the A/C cranked up. You can make it, throw it all in the cooler, and drag it out to the end of the pier where the big fan is. You can even put the chilled soup in Yeti cups, add a skewer with a few cold shrimp on it, and sip and nibble while floating lazily around in the pool. It’s all low-carb, paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and won’t cause acne.

In case you’re not familiar with it, gazpacho is a Spanish chilled soup. It’s too hot to talk about how it originally came from Rome, had stale bread and such in it, yada, yada, yada. I mean, it’s August and who cares? I also don’t care that some weird recipes call for melons and other non-tomato fruits. The one I make is tomato-based, has cukes, red pepper, onion, herbs, and red wine vinegar. I buzz it all in a blender or food processor, pour it in a half gallon Mason jar, put it in the fridge, and have some if I ever cool off enough to get hungry.

The Smoked Paprika Shrimp are easy, quick, and can be made ahead. And by “made ahead” I mean you should make them in the morning before the heat advisories kick in. Mix the marinade up in a quart zipper bag. Add the shrimp, moosh it all around a bit, and toss the bag in the fridge. After 30 minutes–or an hour, absolute max–heat a large skillet over medium heat and throw in the shrimp. You’re probably going to need to do them in batches. Cook, flipping the shrimp once, for about 8 minutes total if your shrimp are large. Cook a little less for smaller shrimp. Take them off the heat and let them cool. Refrigerate them again after that. The dark, smoky notes of the paprika are a lovely foil for the natural sweetness of the gazpacho.

Hell called. They want their weather back.

Gazpacho

6 good-sized, or 4 huge tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into strips or chunks
4 scallions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. tomato paste
3 T. olive oil
2 T. herbs–parsley, basil, thyme, or a combination
3 cups V-8 juice
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Juice and zest of ½ a lemon
½ t. salt
Pinch of cayenne

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Buzz until the mixture is smooth. Chill for a couple of hours before serving.

Smoked Paprika Shrimp

1 T. smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t. salt
½ t. black pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 T. honey
3 T. olive oil
A dash or two of hot sauce, optional
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, tails on

In a resealable zipper bag, mix all ingredients except the shrimp. Add the shrimp and gently rub the marinade all around so it coats the shrimp. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, up to one hour.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook, turning once, for about 8 minutes total. You may need to cook the shrimp in batches. You want them all making contact with the bottom of the skillet–and not too crowded–in order to cook evenly. Remove from heat. Allow to cool and serve, or refrigerate until serving time.