It's been a while since we have had seafood around here - well, not that long I suppose, I made a whole fish dinner for Christmas Eve - but not since then. See, I grew up on the New England Coast and we ate seafood all the time, but since living in Texas I have spent more time focusing on what is local here. So beef (duh) and pork are more constant staples on our dining room table, since I can get really good quality, organic and local meats.

However, I have been having a hankering for some light seafood dinners and going back through my cookbooks and magazines today during the boys nap, I came across a ton of Shrimp and Grits suggestions (thanks, Southern Living) and a few different variations on Baked Shrimp. I'll be honest, I have never baked shrimp before, but I liked the idea because I could pop it in the oven and make the grits in the mean time.

The timing worked out just like I thought and this meal came together beautifully. I added veggies to the plate with some Lemon-Basil Broccolini, added a hearty spoonful of Jalapeno Cheddar Jack Grits, and then put that crunchy, delicious baked shrimp right on top.

Crunchy Baked Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 lbs. raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley

Preheat your oven to 425°.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic and wine. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Pour the contents of the bowl into a large rectangle or oval baking dish (or a rimmed baking sheet would be fine, too).

In a small bowl, melt the butter. Add the panko, basil and parsley. Mix together with a fork and then crumble with your fingers. Sprinkle the mixture over the shrimp, distributing evenly. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bake until shrimp are cooked and pink and the topping is golden brown, about 12-15 minutes (or less depending on the size of your shrimp).

Serve over Cheddar Jalapeno Grits with Lemon-Basil Broccolini.