*I think I’m finally getting the hang of this food photography thing!*

This shrimp crostini recipe was mentioned briefly in my chicken adobo post from June as part of a list of my various lockdown meal experiments. It originally came about after I made the mistake of purchasing pesto in bulk from Costco without any real plans for the massive jar, and everything just sort of spiraled from there. Pesto shrimp, pesto chicken, pesto avocado toast, and so, so many pesto noodles! This crostini, however, was the best of the bunch. Now, many months later and after we’ve settled into our new place, I’ve decided to tackle some of those dishes created in the haze of social isolation, improving upon them with fresh, organic ingredients from our local farmer’s market and co-op.

One of my favorite parts about living in Harrisonburg, VA is our local Friendly City Food Co-Op, a place that has quickly become our go-to grocery store for anything we can’t get directly from the source every Saturday morning. They have such an awesome selection of products that meet almost every possible food and household need, including fresh-baked breads and a prepared food section. I purchased every element of this dish (shrimp excluded–I’ll always be a Costco frozen section lover deep down) warm the same day I made it for dinner, and that helped take this shrimp crostini to a whole new level.

In the spirit of total honesty, I didn’t actually eat any of the shrimp this go-around. As I mentioned briefly in my last post, I’ve been eating almost fully plant-based (vegan, basically) since mid-May, so I left the seafood off my portion of crostini for this dish. Even with just the pesto, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes, and garlic as the main flavor elements, I demolished half a platter in minutes–it was that delicious. It’s been incredibly fun finding vegan alternatives to things Alex enjoys eating so that we can we can still sit down to dinner together, and I feel like I’m learning more about nutrition and sustainability with every new deep-dive into the world of plant-based lifestyles.

I’ve been a vegetarian on and off throughout the years, and this feels like the logical culmination of both my lifelong dislike for how meat tastes (seriously, ask my parents) and my genuine interest in living and ethical and sustainable lifestyle. I won’t stop posting omnivore recipes on this blog, just as I won’t stop cooking them for Alex and anyone else who happens to visit. There will be a noticeable uptick in vegan and vegetarian meals, however, as I continue to learn and grow as a more plant-forward home cook.

*Eat your heart out, Southern Living Magazine!*

This recipe makes 12 crostini.

Ingredients:

12 shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 large baguette
3-4 whole roasted red peppers (from jar)
6-8 sun-dried tomatoes (from jar)
1/2 cup pesto
1/4 cup olive oil + 1 tbsp divided
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp italian seasoning (see my recipe here)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combing shrimp, 1 tbsp olive oil, italian seasoning, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Toss to coat and set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
Roughly chop roasted red peppers and sundried tomatoes, combine, and set aside.
Slice baguette into rounds approximately 1/2 inch thick. Combine remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl. On a large baking sheet, lay out baguette rounds evenly and brush both sizes with the garlic/oil mixture.
Place baking sheet in the oven and set to BROIL (or preheat oven to 525F). Let roast for 5-7 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned around the edges. Remove, flip baguette rounds, and return to the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Heat a large dry pan on medium-high. When hot, add marinated shrimp, ensuring that they are evenly spaced and do not overlap. Sear for 2-3 minutes, then flip. Sear for an additional 2-3 minutes, then remove.
Lower heat to medium-low. Add roasted red pepper and sundried tomato mixture to the still-hot pan, and warm through for about 5-7 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Remove.
Assemble crostini by layering a toasted garlic oil baguette round with 1-2 tsp pesto, 1-2 tsp hot pepper/tomato mixture, and 1 shrimp.

This recipe can be served warm, room-temperature, or cold. We ate our crostini at room-temperature while sitting outside on the porch in fairly hot Virginia August weather, and it was both delicious and refreshing. All of the elements for this shrimp crostini can be made ahead of time if you plan to use this recipe as an appetizer for a party, but I would recommend storing them separately and assembling the day-of to prevent the baguette rounds from becoming soggy. As always, I do not really recommend reheating shrimp in the microwave, but the vegan (no-shrimp) version can definitely be warmed up if you want to eat these hot–just be aware that the bread will likely soften a bit.

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