Recipe: Grilled Shrimp & Zucchini Ribbon Skewers with Romesco Sauce

For the Skewers:

Makes appx. 20 skewers

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

2 TBSP lemon juice

1/4 c parsley, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

2 lbs extra-large shrimp, peeled & deveined

4 zucchini, thinly sliced into ribbons with a mandolin or vegetable peeler

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper, and toss with shrimp. Place in a bowl or ziplock baggie and marinate for 2 to 12 hours.

When ready to serve, heat grill to medium-high heat. Drizzle zucchini with olive oil & season with salt & pepper. Thread some zucchini ribbons onto skewer, then a shrimp, and continue to alternate. Cook skewers until shrimp are bright orange and slightly charred, about 3-4 minutes per side. Arrange on a platter.

Romesco Sauce

Makes appx. 2 cups

1, 16 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained of the liquid (organic if possible as they are on the dirty dozen list)

1 c sliced almonds, toasted

2 medium-sized garlic cloves (more or less depending on your taste)

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 TBSP lemon juice or sherry vinegar 

1 tsp sea salt

To toast the almonds:
Trader Joes sells already toasted almonds in both slivered and sliced – either is fine. If toasting your own, bake @ 350 for 5-10 minutes – the amount of time depends on if they are whole almonds or sliced. You want them to be golden brown & fragrant.

To make the sauce:
In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients until desired level of smoothness is achieved. If you’d like the sauce to be chunkier, you can reserve half of the peppers, puree the remaining ingredients and then pulse in the peppers until small pieces remain.

Place romesco in a bowl and serve along with shrimp & zucchini skewers.