In weekly installments, otherwise known as TwoFaced Tuesday, Melissa, blogger at CupcakesOMG, and I will choose a shared ingredient. Then, using our own culinary talents, we’ll make whatever delicious paleo dish we can think of. TwoFaced will be a dual blogging adventure. If you start here, you will finish there and vice versa.

************

Abby said Memorial Day was her favorite holiday, like it was Christmas or something. I couldn’t conjure up one single memory of a Memorial Day that was memorable. I’m aware of the irony and repetition in that sentence. But it’s true. I really don’t associate the holiday weekend with anything other than three thoughts that have been drilled into my head from a young age: Freedom isn’t free, I can wear white now and all the pools open this weekend.

I asked Abby why and she said it is the weekend when summer begins. I heard her say it and even then as I was standing on a rooftop drinking a vodka soda in a tiny sundress admiring the tans my friends had surely gotten that day, it didn’t sink in. It wouldn’t sink in until Monday night when I was rubbing aloe on my own sunburn and putting shrimp and pineapples on skewers to be grilled.

Of course, Abby was right and summer did arrive and it might be my new favorite holiday, as well.

I thought shrimp would be the perfect recipe for this week’s TwoFaced and I made it as light and fresh as possible with mango marinade and served aside salmon burgers.

And no, for those of you who will criticize this post: Memorial Day Weekend is not National BBQ Weekend, like so many people pointed out yesterday. It’s a valid point, for sure. Then again, Christmas isn’t national stuff your face with ham and get all the presents you ever wanted day, either. That’s what makes America, America. We get to celebrate things like the death of Christ by drinking eggnog and decorating our house. We get to celebrate a war by eating hotdogs and crushing bud light cans. I’m happy to have the freedom to do so, and yes I remember exactly the reason I have that freedom in the first place.

I took this photo as part of Beth’s You Capture series | Moving

Happy Memorial Day & Happy start to summer!

Grilled Shrimp & Pineapple Skewers in Mango Marinade

makes 6 skewers

1 lb (about 18) shrimp, peeled & deveined
1/4 cup of WholeFoods Mango Coconut & Pepper Marinade (contains sugar)*
18 pineapple chunks
1/2 lemon, juiced
6 skewers

Directions

We peeled and deveined our shrimp, but you can purchase shrimp which has already been prepared.

When shrimp is ready, rinse and place in a medium-sized bowl.

Pour lemon juice and marinade over shrimp and stir to combine.

Place three pineapple chunks and three pieces of shrimp, alternating each, on a skewer.

Once all your shrimp and pineapple is used, grill for 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp turns pink.

You can either serve as skewers, or remove food from skewers and eat with a fork and knife!

*I know that sugar isn’t Paleo but we bought this marinade and I’ve been using it here and there when we make seafood. There isn’t soy or any other scary ingredients in it, so I feel OK about it. You can always mix up your own marinade using mango puree, coconut flakes and some spices.

Visit CupcakesOMG! for Melissa’s Shrimp Recipe for TwoFaced Tuesday