Cilantro lime marinated grilled shrimp topped with a spicy roasted poblano sauce! You won’t believe how easy and yummy this dish is!

I have Hawaii on the brain today. We just got back from a camping trip out for the 4th of July weekend where we went four wheeling and target shooting – two of my favorite outdoor activities – and I dragged my husband along for a couple of fishing trips. The poor guy. Fishing isn’t his thing. He’s the best sport you could ask for, he really is, but I’m the one who really likes to fish. I was raised on it. His only fishing experience growing up involved a trout farm and I don’t really thing that counts.

We did both stream fishing and lake fishing. They’re very different. They require different types of bait and different casting techniques. When you go stream fishing, you’re moving the entire time. You cast the pole, reel it in, cast, reel, cast and reel. And then you move to a new spot and start it over again. Cast and reel cast and reel.

At the lake though, the atmosphere is totally different. You bait the hook, cast it out, and then you wait. And wait. And wait. Til you get something on the line, and then you finally reel it in. You usually sit in a camping chair and prop your pole between some rocks to hold it steady while you wait for the fish to bite.

In the meantime, you read a book, or chat with your fishing partner, or in our case yesterday, you plop your camping chairs in some shallow water and soak up some rays while your feet dangle in the lake. It was heavenly. But it really made me wish for a real beach. With white sand and crystal clear water and white caps.

And this is why my brain has been preoccupied with thoughts of Hawaii. I’ve never been there myself but I’ve seen pictures of the beaches and I’ve heard descriptions of it being a little piece of paradise. And in particular, I’ve heard some stories about the fantastic shrimp trucks they have in Hawaii.

Can you imagine? A mobile restaurant entirely devoted to SHRIMP. I cannot think of anything better at this moment than some shrimp, hot off the grill, on a sandy beach under a shady palm tree. With a fruity frozen drink in the non-shrimp-occupied hand, maybe a lime rickey slush.

So with Hawaii shrimp trucks and sandy beaches in mind, let’s talk about cilantro lime grilled shrimp and a killer roasted poblano sauce. The shrimp is easy peasy. Just mix up the marinade and pour it into a zip lock bag with all of your shrimp. Let it chill in the fridge for as long as you can. If that means 15 minutes, that’ll work. If you’ve got an hour or even overnight? Do it! It’ll be that much better with the extra marinating time.

Grill up the shrimp and some poblano peppers for that drippy green sauce you see in the pictures here. You’re gonna love it. A little bit creamy, with a bit of a kick, it’s sooo good. Don’t be afraid to skip the drizzling and go straight to dunking your shrimp in the sauce – that’s what I do!