Green Skewers: Cilantro-Marinated Shrimp

A couple nights ago I was curled up on my couch -- picture this -- a yankee candle "harvest" candle burning, my feet propped, ready for fall -- when I cracked open one of the newest additions to my cookbook collection, Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka. "Cilantro Marinated Shrimp" was one of the recipes that caught my eye first. You better believe -- the first opportunity I had to run to the market and get some fresh cilantro -- well, I took it. How did this happen?

I know I didn't follow Barbara's recipe exactly, because I didn't remember it when I was cooking. All I cared about was marinating some shrimp in some cilantro and spicing it up, and in that moment of inspiration, the following "green skewers" were born. Enjoy.

Servings: 6 Large Skewers

What You'll Need:

• 1 pound medium sized shrimp
• 1/2 a bunch of fresh cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tbsp garlic powder)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Plain Yogurt
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1/2 a large zucchini, cut into strips
• 6 Wooden Skewers (I got a pack of 50 from Giant for $2 and its lasted me 2 years)
• Small blender
• Cooking Spray/Flat Pan/Oven

The Step-by-Step:

1. In a blender, combine olive oil, yogurt, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Tear off the top half of the cilantro and add into the blender. Blend until you have a green sauce.
2. Put the shrimp in a bowl and pour in the cilantro sauce. Toss with your hands until all of the shrimp are well coated. Put the bowl in the refrigerator, and let the shrimp marinate.
3. After the shrimp has been in the fridge for at least an hour (up to overnight,) preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan with cooking spray.
4. Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and toss again with your hands, to make sure the sauce coats the shrimp.
5. Place a shrimp, pepper strip, and zucchini piece on each skewer. Repeat, then top the skewer with another shrimp. Place on pan.
6. Keep using skewers until all the shrimp are used up.
7. Roast the skewers for 15 minutes, then turn up the oven to 450 degrees for 5 minutes (or the "broil" setting for 3 minutes)
8. Optional: Rip up a few fresh cilantro leaves and sprinkle over the skewers for presentation.

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I'm so grateful for Barbara Kafka.

xoxo n