Caribbean Shrimp Packets

I have been craving seafood like crazy lately. I tend to make the same things over and over again, so I figured it was time to venture out of my comfort zone and try something new. This recipe comes from my Hungry Girl 1-2-3 cookbook. Usually I'm not a huge fan of Lisa Lillien's recipes, because she tends to sacrifice nutrition (and taste) for the sake of cutting calories. Which is totally in line with the goals of the Hungry Girl brand, but for somebody whose focus is on health and nutrition, I have a hard time finding HG recipes that I really want to make. This one actually uses a lot of veggies and fruit, plus shrimp is a great way to get some lean protein, so I decided it was worth a shot. But the real reason I wanted to test this recipe out was because it is not something I would usually go for. The sweet/spicy combo is really foreign to me, and I was feeling adventurous.

Ingredients:
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp lime juice
1 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled, tails removed, deveined (you can ask for this at the store, don't go through the trouble of doing it yourself)
One 20 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice, drained
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
2 dashes black pepper, or more to taste
1 tbsp light whipped butter or light buttery spread
2 tbsp brown sugar (not packed) **Note: I didn't use this, and I really liked how it turned out. If you tend to like sweet things, you'll definitely want to use it.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in lime juice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients except for butter and brown sugar. Add lime juice mixture, stir well, and set aside.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter until melted. Add butter to the large bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.

Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray. Place shrimp-veggie mixture in the center and spread it out a bit. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over everything.

Place another large piece of foil on top. Fold together and seal all four edges of the two foil pieces, forming a well-sealed packet.

Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until shrimp are opaque and cooked through.

Allow packet to cool for a few minutes, and then cut to release steam before opening it entirely. (Careful - steam will be hot)

If you like, season to taste with additional salt and black pepper.

Makes 4 servings

Taste rating: 8.5
For somebody who doesn't usually like the sweet meat, this was actually really good. I loved the pineapple with the shrimp, and the kick from the jalapeño and cayenne complemented the sweetness of the fruit really nicely.

Easy rating: 8
The veggies took a while to chop, but other than that, it was really simple. You basically just throw everything in a bowl and then spread it out on a baking sheet. And it doesn't dirty a lot of dishes, so clean-up was a breeze.

Overall rating: 8.5
I definitely recommend this dish! This was one of the few times where I have followed a recipe exactly (with the exception of not adding the sugar), and I was really happy with the way it turned out. And it was sooo colorful and bright! Not that it really matters, but I had a lot of fun making it because it was like cooking a rainbow...