If you’ve been reading this blog over the past month or two, I’d have to forgive you for thinking that all we do is eat out, go to events and drink. But, I swear, we do eat at home a lot, and I do cook things other than dessert!

For example, this Mojo Shrimp Pizza.

It’s a very quick, easy weeknight dinner, especially if you use a ready-made flatbread as the crust. Because the lime juice starts to “cook” the shrimp if it’s soaked too long (which you don’t want), it’s also a fast marinade.

Mojo, in case you’re wondering, is a sauce popular in Cuba and other Caribbean countries. There are many variations, but most use lime, garlic, seasonings — often cumin or cilantro — oil and citrus juice. I also threw in some tequila, ‘cause hey, why not.

I deconstructed the mojo sauce and some of the elements are used in the marinade for the shrimp, some in a parsley and oil spread that’s used instead of tomato sauce, and the garlic goes on top. (If you are not a big garlic fan, reduce the amount of garlic to 1 clove, sliced, and throw it in the marinade to give the shrimp just a touch of garlicky flavor.)

This is one of those recipes where I really wing it and go without measurements, particularly with the seasonings, so everything is “approximate” and just my best guess as to what I threw in.

Mojo Shrimp Pizza with Tomatoes, Garlic & Parsley

The shrimp doesn’t need to marinate long — in fact, the shrimp will start to “cook” if left too long in the citrus-y sauce, so simply soaking it while you prep the rest of the pizza ingredients is the perfect solution. Makes three medium-size flatbread pizzas.

Shrimp & Mojo Sauce

• Approx. ¼ lb. shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Juice from one lime (approx. 2 tablespoons)
• Splash of tequila blanco (approx. 1 tablespoon)
• Hawaiian or kosher salt — a light sprinkle
• Freshly ground black pepper — a light sprinkle
• Ground cumin — you guessed it, a light sprinkle
• Olive oil (approx. 2 tablespoons)

Combine ingredients in a small bowl; mix thoroughly and add shrimp. Mix gently. Allow to rest while you prep the rest of the pizza ingredients. Pre-heat oven to 350°.

If you are not a big garlic fan, omit the garlic below, and instead add one sliced clove to the marinade above.

For the Pizza

• Flatbread or ready-made pizza crust (I used packaged naan from Whole Foods; you can use whatever your favorite make-your-own-pizza base is — use real dough if you like, though that’ll increase prep time)
• 12 – 16 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (I always like the Ho Farms “Family Medley”)
• 4 – 6 oz. shredded cheese (I use an Italian 5-cheese blend to make this a white pizza)
• 3 – 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (I use a Japanese hand-held mandoline)

For the Parsley and Oil Spread

• Cilantro (Chinese parsley), one bunch finely chopped (roughly 1 cup)
• Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped (around ½ cup)
• Olive oil (enough to really moisten up the parsley and make it sauce-y, but not so much it that turns into herbed dipping oil)
• Hawaiian or kosher salt — a light sprinkle

Combine parsleys, oil and salt.

Place flatbread on a baking rack and spread the parsley mixture on top, as you would tomato sauce on a regular pizza.

Add a layer of cheese. Top with garlic, tomatoes and marinated shrimp. (Discard marinade.) Sprinkle more cheese on top.

Bake at 350° until cheese melts and shrimp is opaque. It doesn’t need long. Overcooked shrimp is not your friend. As soon as the cheese gets melty and is hot to the touch, pull it out.