Sunday, July 11, 2021

Easy Summer Dinner with Shrimp Kabobs

DEBORAH CROMBIE: It's that time of year, when you want the easiest, fastest, lightest dinner possible--and what fits the bill better than grilled shrimp kabobs?


 

Here's a little recipe I made up as I want along the other night. It was SO GOOD!

I have usually used some citrus juice when marinating shrimp, but I read recently that you should only add that last, as it pre-cooks the shrimp and can make it tough.

So here's what I used:

 

1 lb large shrimp, cleaned and dried really well

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Zest of 2 lemons

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp coriander

a pinch red pepper flakes

 

Mix the ingredients well

Season dried shrimp all over with sea salt, toss well in marinade and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

Meanwhile soak a dozen wooden skewers in cold water.

Heat gas or charcoal grill to 400 F

When shrimp has marinated, thread onto skewers. Oil the grill grates and grill shrimp skewers a minute or two per side, just until the shrimp is no longer translucent. 

This is the tricky part, because it really is that fast. You have to take it off before you think it's quite done, because it keeps cooking, and if you overcook shrimp it will turn into rubber!

With the shrimp, I served steamed brown rice and grilled baby bok choy with a lime miso vinaigrette , a recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Grill Everything. That recipe was so delicious! I used the dressing on the cooked shrimp and the rice, and it is definitely going in my keeper file.

For dessert, what else but


We only have a week left of peach season here, so I could eat peaches three times a day!


REDS and readers, share you fave easy-peasy summer dinners!

 

 


48 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. This sounds delicious! Definitely on my “must-try” list.

    If we’re not grilling, one of our favorite quick and easy meals for hot summer nights is pasta carbonara. The pancetta [or bacon] cooks while the pasta cooks; while that’s cooking, mix the eggs and shredded parmesan together. The pasta and a bit of the water it cooked in goes in with the meat; remove from the heat and stir in the egg/cheese mixture. Keep mixing until it's nice and creamy; add pepper to taste; cheese on top. Yum . . . .

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    1. Joan, that sounds divine! I have never had pasta carbonara, but you make it sound easy.

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    2. Joan, I have never made carbonara even though I love it in restaurants. I am definitely going to try this.

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    3. It's really easy to make, Karen . . . here's the recipe:
      For one pound of spaghetti, you need about four ounces diced pancetta [or four to six slices of bacon, depending on the thickness] . . . you can add more if you desire.
      Cook this while the pasta cooks.
      If you use bacon, you’ll want to pour off all but about two or three tablespoons of the fat.
      Mix together four eggs and about two-thirds of a cup of shredded Parmesan cheese.
      When the pasta is done, add it to the pan with the pancetta/bacon; add pasta water [I use a soup ladle] and stir together, adding more water as needed until all the pasta is coated.
      Remove the pan from the heat.
      While continually mixing the pasta, pour the egg/cheese mixture over the pasta. Keep mixing [I use tongs] until the egg/cheese mixture coats the pasta.
      Season with freshly-ground black pepper.
      Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve with garlic bread, if desired. Enjoy!

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  3. Next time you're preparing this, could you please give me time to hop on a plane? It's after midnight and I'm suddenly craving shrimp!

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  4. Yummy! Thanks for those.

    Yesterday we had Easter in July, and by that I mean it had nothing to do with Easter except that we still couldn't safely gather in March and April. But we did yesterday - son and d-i-l, and the usual dear friends, total 11.

    It's basil season here, and I've been making batches of pesto. I marinated chunks of boneless chicken thighs in pesto, lemon juice, olive oil, and sherry, then made grilled kebabs of that plus mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and yellow and red bell peppers. SO good!

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    1. Edith, so delighted to hear about your big gathering! What a joy to get together! Yesterday was probably the nicest weather day all week here, so I bet it was perfect there. We went out for dinner with friends and sat outside under a big umbrella. We lingered until dark!

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    2. Edith, that sounds delish. I wouldn't have thought of putting sherry in the marinade but I'm going to try it.

      So glad you were able to have your gathering!

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  5. I'm waiting so impatiently for the peaches to come in up here in CT. Debs, did you freeze any for pie or cobbler later? I think I should have that Mark Bittman book--I have been out of inspiration lately!

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    1. I haven't frozen any, Roberta, but I'm thinking I should buy a bunch next weekend and do that. We may still be able to get some Texas peaches after that, but it's the last weekend our favorite East Texas orchard will be selling at the farmer's market. I'd love a good pie or cobbler recipe.

      You should definitely invest in the Bittman book. It will keep you going the rest of the summer--and beyond!

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  6. Sounds divine, Debs. We use our in- ground gas grill all year round! We have been known to shovel a path to it in the dead of winter. It has been so crazy here weather-wise that grilling has been the answer.

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    1. Our gas grill is plumbed into our natural gas feed, so handy.

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  7. Mmm peaches. Like Lucy, we're waiting for east coast peaches to ripen. And that grilled baby bok choy sounds fantastic! (And Edith that chicken sounds wonderful!) I've been gorging on cherries - the bounty from washington state arrived in our markets and as always they've been amazing.

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    1. The grilled baby bok choy was amazing. I'm going to make it again tomorrow night, with some grilled salmon.

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  8. Chicken caprese: cut a pocket in a chicken breast, fill with mozzarella cheese, sliced tomato, and fresh basil (I use toothpicks to hold everything in place), salt and pepper, pan fry in olive oil. Garnish with sliced garlic cooked in olive oil and pesto. Easy and light for summer.

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  9. Debs, your shrimp kabobs look wonderful! Lucky for meI have been able to get"southern" peaches here that have been very good. I made a very tasty cobbler and when my blueberries are ripe - within the week I hope - I'll make another peach cobbler with the berries tossed in! Maybe even a pie if the spirit so moves me.

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    1. I've just been eating the peaches, but I really need to make at least one cobbler. Want to share your recipe, Judi?

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    2. It's the Bisquick recipe, simple as can be. I do realize making biscuit topping from scratch isn't all that hard or time consuming, but there sat the box . . .

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  10. Waiting for peaches here too, but in the meantime we are eating strawberries, best year ever. My favorite summer meal is anything off the grill that I don't have to cook! Plus potato salad. And asparagus. Our tomatoes are still green, but we do have a bumper crop to look forward to if the cool weather will go away. Need some 80 degree days for the plants to set more fruit.

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    1. Ann, I bought the first ripe field tomatoes from my favorite farmer at the market yesterday. I'm thinking BLTs this week.

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  11. I've never been a peach fan, I prefer nectarines, no fuzzy skin. Cherries are a special treat for me. A go to summer meal would consist of a salad with a variety of veggies, raisins and cheese. If I get really ambitious, I'll get a rotisserie chicken and cut it up for the salad. A hunk of sourdough with butter or maybe a soft cheese.

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    1. All those sound good, Deana. We ate a lot of big salads with all kinds of raw veggies.

      I'm not fond of peach skin, but I just peel them.

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    2. Deana, I'm also more fond of nectarines!

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  12. Our current fresh fruit is nectarines from out West. Our peaches won't come from Ontario until into August. #LifeUpNorth

    We had fresh basil-from-the-garden pesto the other night for supper. That was delicious! Pick the basil, mix it up with olive oil, garlic (lots), pine nuts and parmigiano romano (fresh grated). Salt to taste. Serve over capellini. Yummy!

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  13. Sorry to be late to the party this morning! We had a big storm roll in about 4 a.m. and our internet has been down. Just got a connection again!

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  14. PEACHES! love. Reading all of these recipes now...you all are the best cookbook ever!

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    1. I love all these ideas, too, Hank. Here's another pesto dinner. I put salmon fillets skin side down on foil on a baking sheet. Preheat over to 325 F. Slather fillets with a thick coating of pesto, top that with some breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, until the salmon just begins to flake, then turn on the broiler and cook just another minute or two, until the topping turns golden and bubbly. This is so good that we make it about every other week.

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    2. That's a great idea! Thank you.

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  15. Grilled shrimp sounds so good! Without the coriander. And peaches, I’m in NY cat sitting, the local grocery store has really good fruit. Peaches are my favorite right now. Grilled peaches, filled with goat cheese, topped with shredded basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

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    1. Oh, my, I've been looking for a good grilled peach recipe! Definitely going to try this one. Thank you, Ann!

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    2. I’ll eat just about anything with balsamic vinegar. I have about 15 different flavors. Dark chocolate balsamic drizzled on mango sorbet is amazing.

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  16. Dry farmed tomatoes + vegan mozzarella + basil + olive oil and balsamic vinegar
    = Caprese salad.

    Yum!

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  17. Not an "easy summer dinner" comment, but a PEACH one! We got the delivery from "The Peach Truck" a couple of weeks ago as it made its way up to Massachusetts and beyond. 25lbs of peaches, 76 in total. Experimented with a few recipes, sliced and froze a bunch. But the hit of my peachstravaganza was Ina Garten's "Fresh Peach Cake" recipe. A hit, for sure!

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    1. Looking up Fresh Peach Cake. I love Ina!

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    2. I wonder if you could cut the sugar a little?

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    3. I did... I definitely didn't use a half cup of sugar for the cinnamon sugar topping. I probably cut that in half and it was great. I don't think I cut the sugar in the cake mix, though.

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  18. Oh Debs, what a wonderful meal you prepared. I'd be hesitant to fix it though, afraid I wouldn't get the shrimp right. I do need to get some peaches at the farm store up the road tomorrow. You've made me hungry for those.

    We are doing the basic tonight. Steaks on the grill, fresh green beans (with little potatoes), and fresh corn. Oh, and a sliced tomato.

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    1. Kathy, your dinner sounds delish. You should give the shrimp a try, though. They are really easy!

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  19. Ooooooh, shrimp... And now back to the Euro Cup! Go England!!!

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  20. We love grilled shrimp! I like to add a side of rice seasoned with chopped celery, cilantro and lime flakes. Thanks for posting

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