The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Easy summer skewers
Whether you call them skewers, kebabs, satay or brochettes, meat cooked and served on a stick is perfect summer fare. Such dishes cook quickly, which means they never require heating up a kitchen, and their handheld nature makes them perfect for outdoor entertaining — even if that entertaining is just with your family these days.
The recipe below makes use of skewer-friendly, bite-sized shrimp and miniature sweet peppers (most often called “lunchbox peppers” on the packaging) for a colorful main dish that pairs well with simple steamed rice and, perhaps, a salad, if you’re feeling slightly ambitious.
Once tossed with olive oil, salt and garlic, the skewered shrimp and peppers can be cooked indoors or outside, depending on your grill and the weather.
If cooking indoors, set the skewers under a hot broiler, flipping once, until the peppers begin to char and the shrimp are cooked through but still tender.
If you have a gas grill — and it finally stops raining — cook them over the same high heat for just a few minutes.
For dipping, whip up an easy cream sauce with store-bought prepared pesto and mayonnaise. I like a dip with a slightly higher proportion of pesto to mayonnaise for the most flavor-packed and dippable result. Any extra sauce is equally good on top of the rice.
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, thawed if frozen
1 pound lunchbox peppers, halved, or stemmed and seeded bell peppers, sliced into 1- to 2-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/2 cup prepared pesto
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
ON THE SIDE:
Steamed white rice
Heat a broiler to high with a rack positioned as close to the broiler as possible. Alternatively, heat a gas grill to high.
In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, peppers and garlic. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with a few big pinches of salt.
Toss well to coat everything in the oil.
Thread the shrimp and peppers onto metal skewers, alternating shrimp and pepper, so that 5 to 6 shrimp are on each skewer. You may have extra peppers; add them to another skewer.
If broiling, lay the skewers on a rimmed baking sheet then broil until the peppers begin to char on one side, 5 to 7 minutes.
Flip the skewers and continue to broil until the other side begins to char, 1 to 2 minutes.
If grilling, add the skewers directly to the hot grill and cook until charred on both sides, 7 to 10 minutes total.
While the skewers are cooking, make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the pesto and mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt.
Serve the skewers with the sauce and rice on the side.
Serves 4.
Per serving: 352 calories (percent of calories from fat, 63), 20 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 25 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 147 milligrams cholesterol, 1,559 milligrams sodium.