BOBBY FLAY'S GINGER-SOY-LIME-MARINATED SHRIMP, Adapted

You can usually depend on Bobby Flay to come up with a flavorful recipe for just about anything. He is such an amazing chef. One of my fave TV shows is Throwdown, where he challenges a chef that has a well-received food product by reinterpreting the product with his version. Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses, but the show is always entertaining and informative. Many times, after watching a Throwdown, I'll go to the Food Network website and download one of the recipes to try.

This is not a Throwdown recipe, but it is one that was printed in the Sunday newspaper insert, USA Weekend, last November, to potentially be used for a holiday buffet. I think it's a good year-round recipe. I made three changes.
First, I substituted honey for white sugar. (I like to use almost anything in place of overly processed white sugar, when possible.)
Second, since I don't buy peanut oil, I subbed vegetable oil.
Third, I shucked the shrimp and deveined them. Bobby said to serve this as a peel-and-eat appetizer, but peel-and-eat shrimp turns me off. It's messy, and I don't enjoy eating the veins of shrimp. If you like peel-and-eat shrimp, then don't shuck and devein the shrimp.
This is a good recipe, one that I would make again.

Ginger-Soy-Lime-Marinated Shrimp, Adapted
Source: USA Weekend and Bobby Flay
Rating: 8 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
1" piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. honey (or sugar, if preferred)
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (or peanut oil, if preferred)
1/8 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tails left on

Place shallots, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice and honey in a blender and blend till smooth. Add green onionsand oil; blend till combined. Season with black pepper, to taste. Place shrimp in a medium bowl; pour marinade over; let sit at room temperature 20 minutes.

Preheat grill to high heat (about 450F). Remove shrimp from marinade and place in a single layer on a grill pan. (I don't have a grill pan, so I placed the shrimp directly on the grill grates, but turned that section of the grill off.) Cook for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes each side, or till shrimp are cooked through. Shrimp can also be pan-cooked: Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan and saute for 2-3 minutes, until done.

To serve: Transfer shrimp to a platter or 4 salad plates as an appetizer. (We had this as a dinner entree, served with rice, broccoli and pea pods.)