Shrimp with Orange Cocktail Sauce and Green Goddess Dipping Sauce

Before we talk about these ridiculously tasty shrimp sauces, I have a couple things that I want to share.

First of all, I planted some herbs from seeds a couple of weeks ago, and I am happy to report that they have all officially sprouted! (Though clearly, the basil, on the bottom right there, was taking it’s sweet time):

You see, I am turning my front yard into a vegetable garden this summer, complete with raised beds, trellised vines, and (hopefully) crazy amounts of tasty food. These little herbs were sort of a test run to see if I could grow anything at all, haha.

The second update is, in my opinion, far more exciting. Last Thursday, Mikey and I adopted a pup from a local shelter!

Meet Rook, or “Rookie” (Obviously he hasn’t had a difficult time feeling at home here). He’s all skin and bones, at the moment, as he was found as a stray, but we’ll fatten him up in no time (so maybe expect some doggie recipes in the future?)! He’s as sweet as can be, and we are so happy to be able to call him ours.

Onto the shrimp! This is a great dish to serve at a party because it’s quick, easy, and incredibly flavorful. You can whip up the sauces a day ahead of time, stick them in the fridge, and then pull them out when your guests arrive! I used pre-cooked shrimp in this recipe to make it even easier on myself, but I think that both dipping sauces would taste fantastic with some grilled shrimp!

The orange-y cocktail sauce is a fun twist on a familiar taste. The bright citrus adds a little zing that will keep your guests coming back for more. The green goddess-style dip is equally intriguing. It’s creamy, yet very light and vibrant thanks to the lemon and herbs. When I served this dish, there was a fairly even 50/50 split as to which of the dips was “the best.” I suggest trying them both so that you can form your own opinion 😉

Shrimp with Orange Cocktail Sauce and Green Goddess Dipping Sauce

recipes adapted from here

serves 6-8

• 1 ½ lbs pre-cooked, peeled & deveined shrimp

for the cocktail sauce:

• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp ketchup
• zest from ½ an orange
• ¼ cup orange juice
• juice from ½ lemon
• 1 heaping tbsp horseradish
• ¼ tsp Tabasco
• salt and pepper

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper.

for the green goddess sauce:

• ¼ cup olive oil mayo
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 green onions
• 2-3 tbsp chopped garlic chive
• 2-3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2-3 tbsp chopped tarragon
• 2 flat anchovy fillets
• juice of ½ lemon
• salt and pepper

1. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth; season to taste with salt and pepper.