Garlic Herb Shrimp and Pesto Crostini #SummerStateofMind #PCInsidersCollection

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for President’s Choice and the Atlantic Superstore. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Summer is finally here to stay, and what is a better way to kick off the arrival of July and Canada Day than with a new recipe from President’s Choice for Garlic Herb Shrimp and Pesto Crostini?

Last week I got this fun delivery from PC including some of their must-try items from the Insider’s Collection,

as well as a gift card to go pick up a few more items in order to create my own Al Fresco patio dining experience. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have caught my shopping trip a few days ago, where I picked up the rest of the items I’d need to create my patio dinner party.

With heat warnings flying around all weekend, I was a little bit concerned that it might be too hot to eat outside, but today turned out to be not quite as hot as predicted and it was the perfect temperature for patio dining!

The amazing thing about summertime meals is that you can do most of the prep work in advance, and finish everything off on the barbeque while you visit with your guests.

I had to take advantage of our amazing local strawberries (that are available right in your local Atlantic Superstore!), so I made strawberry infused water using the PC Infusion Pitcher and chocolate dipped strawberries because, well – chocolate. Truthfully, that was the one item I was worried about standing up to the heat. I was sure the chocolate would melt and become a gooey mess. And while the chocolate softened slightly, they held up much better than I had expected. I think the key there was making them the night before so they had a lot of time to set up.

I find the easiest thing to do with these types of set-ups is a buffet style meal, so everyone can grab whatever they want and dig right in. With everything from PC Cheddar Jalapeno Smokies, to PC Axiany Cherry Tomatoes, Kale Caesar Salad (make with fresh, local kale), and an antipasto platter there was something for everyone!

Of course, the showstopper of the meal was the Garlic Herb Shrimp and Pesto Crostini

made using the new PC Garlic & Herb Grilling Raw Butterflied Shrimp.

Today was the first time I’ve ever cooked raw shrimp and the first time I’ve ever shelled shrimp!

Garlic Herb Shrimp and Pesto Crustini

These grilled crostini are ideal for backyard summer hangouts. You can prep the tomatoes and grill the baguette ahead of time, then just toss the shrimp on the grill once everyone is ready to start snacking. The number of shrimp in each package varies from 12-15, so try to cut your baguette into the same number of slices as there are pieces of shrimp.

Makes 12-15 servings

Prep TIme: 20 minutes

Cook TIme: 10 minutes

Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup PC Axiany Cherry Tomatoes (about half the 255g package) chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus additional for the grill
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• Pinch of salt
• Half baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/4 inch thick rounds
• 1 package frozen PC Garlic & Herb Grilling Raw Butterflied Shrimp
• 2 tbsp PC Pesto

Directions:

1. Stir together tomatoes, 1 tbsp oil, basil and salt in small bowl. Set aside.
2. Pre-heat grill to medium heat. Brush both sides of baguette slices with remaining 1 tbsp oil, dividing evenly. Arrange in a single layer on the grill. Cook, turning once, until grill-marked, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Set aside.
3. Brush grill with oil. Arrange frozen shrimp, shell side down, in a single layer on the grill. Close lid and cook over medium heat, turning halfway through cooking time, until opaque throughout and shells are pink 5-7 minutes. Transfer to large plate; remove and discard shells.
4. Spread pesto over top of baguette, dividing evenly. Top with shrimp and tomato mixture, dividing evenly.

recipe provided by President’s Choice

The hardest part of the meal? Waiting to eat until all the photos were taken!

Once we were finally able to dive in, it didn’t take us long to put a significant dent in the spread!

And don’t worry we had lots of drink options too! The strawberry infused water I mentioned earlier, PC Organics Watermelon Lemonade, and two new items from the  Insider’s Collection: maple water (which I’m told is quite good, with just a mild maple flavour), and the PC Nitro Cold Brew Coffee.

And even though the chocolate covered strawberries would have sufficed for dessert, I couldn’t help but bring out the PC Ice Cream Shop Rocky Road Bars!

All in all, it was the perfect way to end the long Canada Day weekend!

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Be sure to check out all of the new “Must-Try” items from this summer’s PC Insider’s Collection (look for the information card on display by the flyers when you walk in the door), and check out all your in-season local produce (like those fresh strawberries!). Then let me know what gets you in a #SummerStateofMind!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for President’s Choice and the Atlantic Superstore. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.