Summer’s sweltering temperatures often lead home chefs to look for lighter recipes that will get them out of the kitchen faster and into a cool spot before working up a real sweat. Other home cooks opt out of the kitchen all together and instead whip up their family’s summer meals on an outdoor grill.
The following recipes cater to both groups. The first features succulent seasoned shrimp on skewers. Not only does skewering the shrimp and vegetables make it easy to cook, but also they are equally simple (and fun) to eat as a portable picnic food. You can serve the skewers as an appetizer or pair it with rice or couscous for a main course.
The second recipe is for grilled Halibut. The rubbed down fish is quick and easy to prepare and is a wonderful addition to a grill that is too often filled with the same ol’ hamburgers and hot dogs. This dish offers a healthy alternative to the sodium packed hot dogs and is a refreshingly light way to cap off a hot day.
SEASONED SHRIMP AND MUSHROOM SKEWERS
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. Portobello mushrooms, wiped clean, cut to 1″ chunks
1 lb. raw, peeled large shrimp (about 16-20 shrimp)
2 red bell peppers cut into 1″ squares or triangles
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoons minced rosemary
10 wooden skewers
Directions:
Preheat grill and soak wooden skewers in water.
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and rosemary in a large bowl. Add shrimp, mushrooms and peppers, and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Alternate shrimp, pepper slices and mushroom chunks on skewers.
Grill skewers, turning once and brushing with remaining marinade—about 6 minutes total.
Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley or rosemary.
Serves 5 as a main dish.
GRILLED HALIBUT
Ingredients:
3 pounds halibut fillet, approximately 1.5 inches thick
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Directions:
Rub fish fillets lightly on both sides with olive oil.
Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Grill 6 – 8 minutes on each side until fish is opaque and flaky.
Remove from grill and cut into 6 portions.
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