Shrimp kabobs on the grill and fried rice

I have never made kabobs on the grill before so this was an exciting and somewhat challenging experience. However, the end result was well worth any slight stress that I felt during the cooking process.

Shrimp and veggie kabobs on the grill

***My personal attempt using whatever I could find in the fridge ***

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen, defined, and peeled raw shrimp (thawed)
• About a cup or two of fresh broccoli florets
• About a cup of chunky baby portobello mushrooms
• About a cup of assorted colored peppers (red, yellow, orange, and/or green if you like)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 bag frozen Asian style chicken fried rice (plus ¼ cup unsalted butter and 2 -3 tablespoons of olive oil for cooking)
• Garlic salt to taste

Instructions

1. Chop up the veggies to fit your preferred size, I opted for a chunky cut to save time.
2. Preheat the grill with charcoal or by turning on the propane (depending on your type of grill)
3. Alternate the vegetables with the shrimp on the skewers until all ingredients are stacked on.
4. At this time you will want to start the fried rice. To do so, use a large skillet to heat olive oil. Remove any sauce packets and toss (you don’t need it). Add the fried rice mixture, cover and allow to cook on medium heat.
5. Place skewers on the grill and allow the cooking to begin.
6. While the skewers begin cooking on the first side, make a flavor mixture.
7. Melt ¼ cup unsalted butter in a dish and mix in the minced garlic, lemon juice, and black pepper.
8. Using a sauce spreader, evenly spread the butter mixture over each of the skewers.
9. Flip and repeat on the opposite side of the skewers.
10. While the skewers are cooking, evenly cook the fried rice and veggie mixture, stirring occasionally. Once the rice is beginning to become tender and veggies are no longer frozen, add ¼ cup unsalted butter. Stir the rice mixture to evenly coat it with the butter as it melts.
11. Sprinkle in the garlic salt slowly and taste as you go to avoid over or under seasoning.
12. Cover and reduce heat. Allow the rice and veggies to become tender while you check on the skewers.
13. If the shrimp and veggies are grilled to your liking then remove the skewers and turn off the grill.
14. If your shrimp skewers are a little undergone then you may want to consider moving them from the grill and adding them into the rice mixture. Carefully, slide the shrimp and veggies off of the skewers and into the skillet. Mix the ingredients together, cover, and allow the entire mixture to cook for a few minutes on low heat.
15. Once everything is tender and cooked through, remove from heat.
16. Spoon the desired amount onto plates, serve hot, and enjoy!
17. You may want to add additional seasoning to enhance the flavor to your liking.

This was a light, flavorful, and delicious meal. It also made excellent leftovers for us to have at lunchtime the next day. Some optional changes include:

1. Using lemon pepper as opposed to black pepper to kick up the citrus flavor profile
2. Using jumbo shrimp as opposed to small shrimp
3. Changing up the veggies to suit your palate including onions, carrots, green bell peppers, jalapenos, etc.

I highly recommend giving this dinner idea a try! It was refreshing to shake-up our typical dinner routine. Also, consider pairing this meal with a citrusy cocktail or even a lemon ice water!