Shrimp cocktail

It's March! Spring is not so far away! The 6 foot high snow banks can only last for so much longer. I am optimistic.

I don't know what inspired my having shrimp cocktail this weekend. I think it was that My Charming Companion and I were craving pizza, and wanted to have that with some sort of protein appetizer. So I got some shrimp. But then the evening came and the pizza was too high maintenance (we were going to try a cauliflower crust one), so we made soup instead and had that with the shrimp. (Pizza was on Sunday, but with a coconut flour crust - post forthcoming.)

I don't often crave shrimp, or shrimp cocktail for that matter - but this was sort of a festive diversion from anything I have been eating lately. And, I LOVE horseradish and when do I eat an appetizer for my own dinner? Not so often. Also, you can make your own fish broth with the leftover shrimp shells. Just put the shells in a pot, add some onion/celery scraps, cover with water and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Cocktail Sauce
2 T tomato paste
2 T prepared horseradish*
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp mustard
salt to taste
*I used Bubbies horseradish, which has some sugar in there and is not super hot - you may want to use less if your brand is hotter

Mix all ingredients together - and that's it. You are done. So easy.

Roasted Shrimp
1 lb shrimp, shelled and de-veined
Olive oil
salt and pepper
lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss shrimp in olive oil, salt and pepper to lightly coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-12 minutes, flipping once in the middle until cooked through (mine were medium sized shrimp and I went 10 minutes). Chill (I stuck the pan on the frigid porch for about 5 minutes and that worked great - 0 degrees is good for flash-chilling!). Sprinkle with lemon juice or serve with lemon wedges, and dip in cocktail sauce.