The heat is closing in on us here in North Texas. It’s the time of year to sip cool lemonade by (or rather in) the pool, prepare delicious dinners on the grill, and turn the A/C way down at night. All of these things we took part in this week and it was the perfect way to welcome the heat without losing our cool.

After spending time in the pool (and getting a little burnt), we made an impromptu trip to Sprouts Farmer’s Market for something to throw on the grill. We grabbed a pound of great looking U15 shrimp (for more info about shrimp sizing, you can find a handy chart here). After they were cleaned (shelled and deveined), they were tossed in a generous sprinkling of Urban Accents Fisherman’s Wharf Seafood Seasoning and let them sit while the grill was heating up. The Mr grilled the shrimp over medium (300°) heat for 3-5min (or until the shrimp have just turned a delicate pink).

While the Mr was working on the shrimp, I popped some cloves of garlic in the oven to roast and started a pot of water to boiling. One thing I read about cooking pasta recently is that Italians don’t actually salt their water (kosher salt!) until it has a rolling bubble and the pasta has been added. This apparently adds greater flavor to the pasta itself. Once our linguine was al dente, I stirred in about 3tbsp butter and 1/2c cooked quinoa. After the pasta and quinoa were sufficiently baptized in the melted butter, I tossed in the gently smashed results of the roasted garlic.

The shrimp was lain on a bed of quick Marketside Superblend Slaw (literally the only thing I go to Walmart for because no one else carries anything else like it) tossed with David’s Unforgettables Balsamic Vinaigrette, bits of Mt. Vikos Feta, and toasted Italian breadcrumbs. Tell me what you’re throwing together in this heat in the comments below!