Greek Grilled Shrimp
It's summertime and the livin's easy... and the garden is bursting with the first zucchini and tomatoes of the season! It's also super hot and humid, which makes me not want to move, let alone cook over a hot stove. But I've got a family to feed and a garden full of fresh veggies to use, so it's times like these that I fire up the grill and look for a simple, quick, and delicious dinner to make life easier. Let me introduce my latest go-to recipe for days like these:
Greek Grilled Shrimp and Veggies over Couscous
This recipe calls for zucchini, peppers and cherry tomatoes, but feel free to use any veggies you have on hand. I've added mushrooms and eggplant also work really well. You could also grill a side of corn and scrape the kernels into the final dish. Just don't skip the tomatoes - you want their grilled juices to mix it all together and soak into the couscous.
Greek Grilled Shrimp and Veggies over Couscous
Yeild: 2 servings Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
1 large garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grill basket
10 jumbo shrimp (about 8 ounces), peeled, deveined, tails left on
1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 red pepper, seeded, cut into 1" pieces
1/3 cup crumbled feta (about 1.5 ounces)
1 box plain couscous
2 tablespoons sliced kalamata olives (optional)
Special Equipment:
A flat grill basket (about 13 1/2 x 8 1/2") or skewers (if wooden, soak in water for 30 mins)
Directions:
Prepare a grill for high heat. Whisk garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a large bowl. Add shrimp, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes and toss to coat.
Brush wires of grill basket with oil, then add shrimp mixture. Arrange in an even layer and close basket. (If using skewers, thread shrimp and veggies onto skewers.) Place grill basket (or skewers) on grill and cook, turning often, until shrimp is fully cooked through and vegetables are lightly charred, about 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook couscous according to package instructions.
Transfer shrimp mixture to a large bowl and toss until coated with tomato juices. Divide couscous among plates, top with the shrimp and sprinkle with feta and olives.
Since I don't have a grill basket, I use a combo of skewers, mini baskets and straight on the grate grilling. The important thing is to keep foods of similar cooking times together, hence the tomatoes in one set and the shrimp on another, etc.
