Make a delicious appetizer – a grilled shrimp cocktail served with a Tunisian pesto dip. Shrimp cocktails are rather popular and common, so try grilling the shrimps instead to offer something different on the dining table.

It should only take about 10 minutes of your time to prepare this wonderful dish that serves 6.

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Ingredients needed:

For shrimp:

• 1 pound medium sized shrimp with tails, peeled and deveined
• Oil or melted butter for grilling
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 lime

For pesto:

• 2 cups fresh coriander or cilantro (leaves and stems)
• 1 cup fresh parsley (leaves and stems)
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Cooking method:

For shrimp:

1. Pre-heat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Toss in the shrimp with just enough oil or butter to coat lightly.
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Grill shrimps until they just curl and are translucent (about 1.5 minutes on each side).
4. Squeeze lime over the shrimp and serve warm with pesto sauce.

For Tunisian pesto dip:

1. Combine the coriander or cilantro, parsley, almonds and garlic in a food processor and blend until they are coarsely chopped.
2. Add 1/3 cup of the oil and process until they are evenly mixed and you get a smooth mixture.
3. Add in the salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional).
4. Serve immediately with grilled shrimps.
5. If you wish to keep the pesto for future consumption, keep in an airtight container. Pour the remaining oil on top of the mixture and freeze up to 3 months.

More recipes:

• Bacon and egg salad
• Ginger lime chicken salad
• Beer, cheese and bacon soup
• Avocado, grapefruit and spinach salad
• Chicken with strawberries salad