Shimp Lettuce Wraps with Serrano Mint Sauce

This was actually supposed to be GRILLED shrimp lettuce wraps...but I was thwarted by the weather.  Now, I can grill in almost all elements in the desert.  118? No problem.  45? No problem.  Rain?  No problem.  Winds blowing in so much dust I could barely see the grill from the back door.... Problem.  As you may have guessed, I was planning on making these last week right as that massive dust storm hit us.  I tried to wait it out, but when it hit 8:10pm and it looked as though it was not dwindling at all, I decided to switch gears.  Do I believe these would have been better on the grill?  Of course.  Where they bad?  Absolutely not!!  Honestly, you know what I'm going to say... it was the sauce that made this meal anyway!  I was not that fond of the consistency of the sauce, but the flavor.. OMG ... it was incredible!  It was minty, it was spicy, it was sweet.  Those flavors combined.. well, I'll have to steal a line from Dr. Hook - they'll make your pants want to get up and dance :)  Ok, maybe it will just make you want to get up and dance.. either way, there will be dancing!

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Serrano Mint Sauce
Adapted from Bobby Flay
- serves 2-3 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
36 medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined if necessary
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup fresh mint leaves
2 Serrano chiles, chopped
1 garlic cloves, quartered
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 head green leaf lettuce, leaves separated
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
12 fresh mint leaves (optional)
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (optional)
2 cups cooked rice (preferably a little sticky - I used Basmati)

Directions:
Place the clean shrimp in a shallow dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.

In a blender, add the mint, Serrano, garlic, ginger, sugar, vinegar, and fish sauce.  Pulse until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a non-stick skillet sprayed with a little cooking spray, add the shrimp over medium high heat.  Quickly "stir fry" the shrimp until shrimp is pink and cooked through.  Remove from heat and drain any excess water if necessary.  If you are grilling, place shrimp on skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes.  Preheat grill to 375-400.  Place the skewered shrimp directly over the fire until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.

To assemble lettuce wraps:  Lay out a lettuce leaf, top with rice, cucumber, mint (if using), jalapeno (if using), and the shrimp.  Top with Serrano mint sauce and roll the lettuce into a cigar shape.  Enjoy!

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