Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp Skewers | Grilled Summer Appetizer

These Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp Skewers were a Summer staple for me as a caterer- always one of the first things to go.  After I had served these a couple of times I had to raise the price of these on my menus because I was having to prepare so many of them to keep up with the demand of the guests... I never wanted to run out of anything.  

As I've mentioned before, I'm a stickler for making sure that everything on my menus goes well with each other... I find that these are much better to serve at a party than traditional shrimp cocktail because the flavors of the herbs and lemon go much better with a drink and other menu items than a strongly flavored ketchup based cocktail sauce.  They are perfect party food- flavorful, elegant, easy to prepare in advance and easy to eat.

This recipe was inspired by a Barefoot Contessa recipe - she served them as a main course with pesto pasta... also one of my favorite ways to enjoy them. 

You can find the skewers, here, that make these look great and perfect for a party.

Lemon Basil 
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
4 appetizer portions
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of cracked pepper
bamboo skewers

In a bowl, combine garlic, basil, parsley, dijon, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Combine well with a fork.  Add shrimp and toss.  If time allows, let the shrimp marinate for 1 hour or over night.



Soak wooden skewers in water for 1 hour.  Skewer shrimp onto the sticks.  Grill for 1 minute on each side until pink.  Serve warm, at room temperature, or refrigerate and serve cold.  If the weather isn't cooperating for the grill, they can also be prepared in the oven- just roast them at 450 degrees for 5-7 minutes. 

For the complete menu and all of the recipes from my Ladies Night Patio Party, click here!

Stop by Everyday Occasions, The Store for more of my favorite entertaining essentials that make entertaining easy.  

Summer Vegetable, Sweet Corn & Chicken Chowder

Last week during Emma's summer break we were treated with storms here - almost everyday.  Typically a big bowl of soup doesn't sound fabulous during the first week of summer, but when the rain was coming down in buckets, this fresh sweet corn chowder packed with vegetables was a comforting dinner. 

The soup was inspired by a lunch date Emma and I had at Classic Cup (as in... she fell asleep in the stroller while we were shopping, so I actually got to sit an enjoy lunch!).  They called theirs a Green Chile Chicken Chowder and served it with tortilla chips.  I combined that soup with one of my favorite Barefoot recipes for Lobster Corn Chowder, that uses corn cobs to sweeten and thicken the soup... and added lots of vegetables.  So really, it is nothing like either soup... but the result was very good, and rather healthy.

I'm so glad to finally have peonies gracing my table!  I found these at the Brookside Farmer's Market on Saturday - not my favorite varieties or colors, but any peony will do!

Summer Vegetable
Sweet Corn Chowder


2 Chicken Breasts (skin-on/bone-in)
olive oil
salt & pepper
....
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 carrots, peeled, small dice
2 celery ribs, peeled, small dice
1 small white onion, small dice
1 sm can chopped green onion
1 sm can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of chicken broth
4 cups of water
4 ears of sweet corn
Sea Salt
.....
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
cilantro

On a baking sheet, drizzle the chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 350 until cooked through.  Remove from oven and let cool.  When cool, remove meat and shred into bite-size pieces.





In a large stock pot, saute onions, carrots and celery in olive oil until soft.  Add green chiles, tomatoes, chicken broth and water.  Season with 1 tablespoon of sea salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.  Bring to a simmer.



Cut corn kernels off of cobs and add cobs and half of corn kernels.  Reserve the other half of the kernels to add just before serving.  Continue simmering the soup uncovered for 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.  (I later added a 4th cob per the recipe, after I took this photo!)



Before serving, add shredded chicken, zucchini, squash and reserved corn.  Simmer until vegetables are tender. 

Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed.  Garnish with cilantro for serving.

Brown Sugar & Sesame Steak Kebab Marinade

 

I probably sound like a broken record - but I love Kebabs.  You can read more about my testaments (love affair?), here in my Brown Sugar Chili Lime Chicken Kebabs post.  Really, I think a great kebabs are all about the marinade.  During the fall and winter months, we love searing our steaks on the stove-top seasoned with just salt and pepper, but... during the warm months we start craving more flavor.  Because kebabs are cut into smaller pieces, then marinaded, you end up with really flavorful steak.  This is a simple recipe - you don't even have to use the sesame oil if you don't have it, any oil will work.

For the more details about our Outdoor Dinner Party, including table setting and the menu, click here.

Brown Sugar & Sesame
Steak Kebab Marinade


2 pounds of steak (I used strip steaks)
Vegetables (I used squash)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup toasted (dark) sesame oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Sea Salt & Pepper
Wooden Skewers

Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes.

Trim fat from steaks and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes.  Slice squash into thin rounds. 

In a large bowl, stir together soy, brown sugar, oil and garlic.  Add vegetables and steak.  Toss to coat.  Let marinade in the refrigerator (if you have time - up to overnight).

Skewer before grilling.  Grill on high flame for 2 minutes on each side until hot pink in the middle - it will not take very long!

I served our kebabs with simple grilled fingerling potatoes... recipe to come!

Simple Summer Supper Menu | Lemon Orzo & Squash, Teriyaki Marinated Steak & Heirloom Tomatoes

Our dinners have been really simple lately - just fresh vegetables and some sort of protein like grill steak or fish.  I've enjoyed eating so freshly and seasonably, but needed a little something more... um, interesting.  Is that the right word?  I just needed something that was more complex than sliced vegetables or steamed potatoes.  Yesterday, I made this orzo pasta salad that had sauteed yellow squash, green onions and lemon.   It was a great new dimension to our sweet teriyaki marinated steak and sliced heirloom tomatoes with fresh mozzarella. This would be a great menu for a party.  Everything can be made ahead of time - just throw the steaks on before dinner. 

I can't wait for the leftovers for lunch... 

Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad 

with Yellow Squash & Green Onions

1/2 box of orzo pasta
1 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small yellow squash, small dice
8 green onions, sliced
......
juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Cook the orzo pasta in salted boiling water just until it is cooked, but still firm.  Drain - do not rinse. 

Saute garlic and squash in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until the squash has softened slightly.  Add to the cooked orzo.  Also add the sliced green onions. 

For the dressing, mix together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Pour over the still warm pasta and toss. 

 

I used a homemade teriyaki marinade for our steaks - it was sweet and spicy... so good.   I'll share the recipe next.

And of course, a staple around our house... slice heirlooms with fresh mozzarella. 

Heirloom Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella Flatbread Pizza

Our local produce market, Verrill Farm, has a baskets and baskets of heirlooms.  I think I've purchased about 3 pounds of them every other day.  There is nothing like an heirloom tomato. 

 

 A really good tomato needs nothing - no salt, no fresh cracked pepper, not balsamic vinegar.  A really good tomato has so much flavor - a sweetness and subtle taste of salt all on its own. 

When I'm cooking with these gems, I try to keep them fresh to preserve their naturally perfect flavor and texture.  After 5 nights in a row of simple sliced heirloom tomatoes as side with our dinner (and the main course for my lunch), I decided to experiment a little.   This flatbread pizza is the perfect way to enjoy them - a little dressed up, but not at all overshadowed. 

Heirloom Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella
Flat Bread Pizza


1 pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
2 pounds of heirloom tomatoes
8 ounces of fresh mozzarella
fresh chives
fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Stretch and pull the dough to be the size of a baking sheet.  Drizzle the baking sheet with half of the olive oil, then place the dough on the sheet and drizzle the remaining olive oil on the dough.  Scatter the sliced clove of garlic and red pepper over the dough. 

Bake the dough for 15 minutes until it bubbles and slightly browns on the edges.  Remove from the oven.

Slice the tomatoes and spread them over the cooked dough.  Slice the mozzarella and distribute it over the tomatoes.  Place in the oven under a hot broiler for 1-2 minutes, just until the mozzarella melts ever so slightly.   Remove it from the oven.  Garnish with snipped chives and fresh basil.

Here is the dough baking - see how it bubbles in a really hot 450 degrees oven.  

Remove the dough from the oven just as it begins to brown.  It should be cooked all the way through.

Lovely tomatoes go right on top.  I love that they are still a little cool and the crust is hot.  Such a great combination - still fresh, but satisfying.

Grilled Steaks with Pineapple, Zucchini, Mushroom Kebabs

The Chimichuri Sauce atop our Grilled Flank Steaks was a big hit at our house, which was surprising as I am one of those that do not like cilantro (supposedly) and Mike has a pronounced distaste for parsley (and cilantro, for that matter).  When my Mom was in town last week I used the leftover sauce as a marinade for our vegetable & pineapple kebabs that accompanied grilled ribeye steaks & classic baked potatoes.  The combination of the spicy, herb & lime juice sauce was amazing combined with the sweet pineapple on the grill- really special.

Grilled Pineapple & Vegetable Kebabs
marinated in Chimichurri Sauce


1 large zucchini, halved and sliced
1 pint of mushrooms
1 red onion, quartered
1/2 pineapple, 1-inch cubes
 Chimichurri Sauce
8 bamboo skewers

Soak the bambook skewers in water for 10 minutes or more to keep them from burning on the grill.

Place all of the vegetables and pineapple pieces in a large bowl.  Add chimichurri sauce and toss, coating each piece.  Thread the vegetables and pineapple onto a bamboo skewers, alternating them as you go.

Grill them for about 4 minutes on each side until they begin to cook thru and soften.  You can brush extra sauce on as you go for even more flavor.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella & Pancetta

Last week I posted about a Grilled Vegetable "Bolognese" Pasta Sauce that was made completely out of vegetables that I served with Homemade Pappardelle.  We loved it so much that I decided to make it again, but with a few new ingredients that seem to make everything even better... Fresh Mozzarella and Pancetta.  Instead of making the Homemade Pasta, I opted for rigatoni.  Now, we can't decide which version we like the best... a nice dilemma to have.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta
with Fresh Mozzarella & Pancetta


1 eggplant, sliced lengthwise
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 yellow pepper, seeded and quartered
3 tomatoes, thickly sliced
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
sea salt & pepper
......
2 tablespoons of sea salt
1 pound of rigatoni
......
1/4 pound of pancetta, diced
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1 inch pieces
fresh basil

Combine 3 sliced cloves of garlic and 1/2 cup of olive oil in a small bowl.  Brush the oil on all sides of the sliced vegetables.  Reserve the remaining oil.  Sprinkle each vegetable with sea salt and cracked pepper.

Grill the vegetables for 3-4 minutes on each side until good color has developed and the vegetables are tender.  Remove the vegetables from the grill and bring them inside, let cool.  Cut the vegetables into 1-inch pieces. 


Meanwhile, boil a pot of water with 2 tablespoons of sea salt for the pasta.

In a large saute pan, cook pancetta until crispy.  Add reserved olive oil with sliced garlic cloves.  Cook for 30 seconds on medium high just until the garlic begins to bubble.  Add the crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook for 10-20 seconds longer, then add chopped vegetables and stir the mixture.  The more tender vegetables like the eggplant and tomatoes will naturally break apart to create the sauce.

Cook the pasta in the salted, boiling water just until al dente.  Add a 1/4 cup of pasta water to the sauce to thin it slightly.  Add more, if needed.  Remove it from the water and add it directly to the sauce, toss it with the pasta.  Add fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.  Toss together. 

Grilled Summer Vegetable "Bolognese" with Fresh Pasta

This recipe was inspired by a recent edition of Everyday Food magazine.  Sarah Carey called it a Summer Ratatouille pasta.  It has Eggplant, Tomatos, Peppers and Zucchini- all grilled.  The grilled tomatoes and eggplant broke apart and coated the pasta creating an amazingly fresh and very flavorful sauce... Mike and I were both shocked how delicious this was.  The texture and taste was almost like a meaty bolognese sauce- but it is all vegetable.  Really amazing.  This is going to be my 'go-to' pasta for the summer when I'm at the market drooling over all of the beautiful produce- I'll know exactly what I'm going to be making for dinner.  Oh, and if you want to go crazy with this, toss in some fresh mozzarella at the end and sprinkle on some crispy pancetta... makes it really over the top.

my version of...  
Grilled Summer Ratatouille
Vegetable "Bolognese"
with fresh pasta


1 eggplant, sliced lengthwise
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 yellow pepper, seeded and quartered
3 tomatoes, thickly sliced
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
sea salt & pepper
......
2 tablespoons of sea salt
1 pound of pappardelle pasta (homemade recipe here, or store-bought)
......
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

fresh basil
fresh cherry tomatoes, halved

Combine 3 sliced cloves of garlic and 1/2 cup of olive oil in a small bowl.  Brush the oil on all sides of the sliced vegetables.  Reserve the remaining oil.  Sprinkle each vegetable with sea salt and cracked pepper.

Grill the vegetables for 3-4 minutes on each side until good color has developed and the vegetables are tender.  Remove the vegetables from the grill and bring them inside, let cool.  Cut the vegetables into 1-inch pieces.