Do you enjoy eating shrimp, but maybe a little nervous about cooking shrimp at home?  Maybe you just haven't figured out which shrimp recipes would work best for your family and schedule. We love the fact that shrimp is such a versatile ingredient and can be prepared in so many different ways with amazing outcomes - in appetizers, soups, salads, pasta, and with rice! So we rounded up 14 absolutely delicious shrimp recipes and categorized them below by meal course. Since shrimp cooks so quickly (and is often added to dishes cold), most of these shrimp recipes are profoundly simple and will have you enjoying your dish in 30 minutes or less (though we did include a few exceptions). (Below photo by AM FL on Unsplash)   First, we offer a few tips about purchasing, handling and cooking shrimp at home: (foremost safety -- always wash hands before and after handling fresh seafood!)

1. Good shrimp will be firm, translucent, and be free of black spots; it should have a fresh light scent, not overly strong.

2. Thaw shrimp safely by placing in the refrigerator overnight in an airtight container.  Thaw out faster by placing shrimp under running water (cold) for a couple of minutes.

3. If you're not using the shrimp right away, place it in a large bowl filled halfway with ice, nestling the shrimp in the ice; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. To peel shrimp, pull back the shell from the inside curve of the body, and from the head, peel back gently down to the tail (you can remove the tail or leave it in tact, depending on how you're cooking or serving it).

5. Devein the shrimp by running a knife along the center of the outer curve of the body from the head to the tail, locating and removing the dark vein; then rinse shrimp in cold water.

6. Shrimp cooks quickly, so whether cooking on the stovetop or the grill, it will only take 2-5 minutes to cook through (depending on the size of the shrimp).  Cooked shrimp will be lightly pink and opaque (even just a minute or two longer of cooking can make the shrimp tough - so watch it closely!)

Now, on to the recipes ....

Appetizer Shrimp Recipes

First up is a delicious Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo Dip with diced sausage, gumbo veggies, and shrimp heated in a cream cheese and Asiago creamy base for dipping your favorite baguettes, veggie strips or crackers. A simple Oriental Shrimp Hors D'ouvre, this pan-fried shrimp is skewered on a toothpick with a slice of pineapple for a fun appetizer. Garlic Shrimp Crostini makes a super easy appetizer with pan-fried shrimp served over seasoned cream cheese spread on toasted crostini.  Yum!

Soup Shrimp Recipes

Salmon, shrimp and veggies in a white wine tomato sauce make a terrific Seafood Soup. Tuscan Mariner Gumbo combines shrimp with diced fish and traditional gumbo flavors and seasonings for a hearty soup any day of the week.

Salad Shrimp Recipes

[caption id="attachment_24679" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo by Ryan Concepcion on Unsplash[/caption] Grilled Shrimp and Mango Salad - grill some shrimp on skewers for a few minutes over a hot grill; serve on top of shredded seasoned mango over a bed of greens for a healthy, delicious meal. If you're not that excited about greens in your salad, try this Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad - chopped pre-cooked shrimp with tomato, avocado, jalapeno and lime-marinated onion and seasonings.

Pasta Shrimp Recipes

[caption id="attachment_24680" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo by Alyssa Kowalski on Unsplash[/caption] Try this Garlic Shrimp Linguine for a flavorful complete dinner in less than 30 minutes.  Garlic shrimp served with linguine noodles, fresh spinach, and Parmesan. Paella Style Pasta is a Spanish style dish made with orzo pasta (resembles rice), tomatoes, peas, corn and shrimp.  It takes closer to an hour to have it ready for dinner, but it's worth the wait, if you have the time!

Main Dish Shrimp Recipes

Shrimp Etouffe is a simple dish with tomato sauce, shrimp, onion, bell pepper and celery, served over rice - a traditional Cajun dish. A spicy, quick dish that can be made in a tagine, if you have one, or a heavy skillet, if not.  Moroccan Shrimp Tagine is seasoned with garlic, tomatoes, cayenne, cumin, and can be served alone, as an appetizer, or over rice as a main dish. Here's a creamy dish made with shrimp, spinach, mushrooms, cream cheese and rice, and topped off with a little Parmesan cheese (Creamy Lemon, Mushroom, Shrimp & Rice); even better, it's ready in about 30 minutes for a quick week-night dinner recipe. Coconut Shrimp Curry is a delicious dish - shrimp with cauliflower and sweet potatoes is served over jasmine rice. Last, but not least, these New England Shrimp Rolls are sure to please any time and are so quick to put together - perfect for a busy week night, and fun for a picnic or enjoying al fresco on a summer evening. So, what are your favorite shrimp recipes?  Did any of these inspire you to try something new in the coming days?  Or maybe remind you of an old favorite you'd forgotten about?  Please leave us a comment with your thoughts; we enjoy hearing from you!