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Grilled Shrimp on a Stick with Corn, Bacon & Tomato

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Grilled Shrimp on a Stick with Corn, Bacon & Tomato is a great way to celebrate summer flavors. Seasonal fresh corn and ripe tomatoes are flooding the Farmer’s Markets and they go famously together with grilled shrimp.

Fresh Corn + Vine Ripe Tomatoes are where it’s at right now for all things summer.   I can’t pick my tomatoes quick enough – they are in full on production mode. So, get ready for tomato recipes to come!  AND there is nothing like fresh corn from the Farmer’s Market. Make the most of these peak season finds before summer ends. Shrimp get a little love from a chipotle marinade, kicking it up a notch –  fresh corn, bacon and tomato  lightens it up.

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Grilled Shrimp on a Stick with Corn, Bacon & Tomato

Celebrate summer with fresh corn and ripe tomatoes that go famously with grilled shrimp
Course Main Course
Cuisine Seafood
Keyword 30 Minute Dinner
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 16 large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 4 strips bacon cut into lardons
  • ½ Walla Walla onion or sweet onion, frenched (cut into slivered pieces)
  • ½ clove garlic minced
  • 2 ears corn cleaned and cut off the cob
  • 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 wooden kabob sticks soaked in water for 30 minutes
  • 1 lime cut in wedges for garnish
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped, for garnish

Marinade

  • ½ garlic clove minced
  • ½ cup chipotle in adobo sauce I keep leftovers in the freezer
  • 1/2 lime squeezed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp cilantro chopped
  • 1 tsp brown sugar

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl combine all of the marinade ingredients and toss together with shrimp. Let sit in the refrigerator while you prepare the grill.
  • Prepare grill and soak wooden kabob sticks in water if you haven;t already pre-soaked.
  • In a large saute pan over medium heat cook bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is cooked through. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel or wire rack. Leave bacon grease in pan.
  • Add onion and garlic to pan and saute for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add corn and saute another 2 minutes.
  • Add cherry tomatoes and saute for about 3 minutes to soften and release juices.
  • Return bacon back to pan and combine.
  • Salt and pepper to taste. Let sit on low heat until shrimp are ready.
  • Remove shrimp from marinade and thread 4 shrimp on each kabob stick.
  • Grill until cooked through. Shrimp should be opaque. Serve with corn mixture, cilantro and squeeze of lime.

Individual Blackberry Pies

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Fresh picked blackberries come together in a personal size blackberry pie with an all butter crust and vanilla bean ice cream. Simplicity at it’s best.

Time to Get Picking Blackberries

I have the fondest memories of my grandfather out back picking bowls of blackberries. He would spend hours picking these blackberries because, of course, you have to get them while they are good. When he brought them back to the house, my mother would whip up one of her famous blackberry pies and we would eat it warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream.

All About The Crust

I’ve tried sooo many different ways to make crust and have settled on ALL BUTTER. People try too hard when making pie crust. It really just needs to be simple and all butter is the way to go for the flakiest crust. I like taking a very cold stick of butter and grating it straight into the bowl of flour. Then, very gently, crumble the butter and flour into crumbs. Add very cold water a little at a time until dough forms. It’s that simple.

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Individual Blackberry Pies

Fresh picked blackberries come together with an all butter crust in your own individual ramekin. No need to share, it's all you!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword Blackberry Pie, Blackberry Cobbler, Personal Pie
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh picked blackberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour

Pie Crust ( Makes 4 ramekin size top crusts )

  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 stick butter grated
  • 1/2 cup very cold water

Instructions

  • Combine blackberries, flour and sugar in a large bowl and let sit.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Divide blackberry mixture into four individual ramekins and top each with dough.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until nice and golden brown.

Pie Crust

  • Combine flour, sugar and salt together. Mix grated butter into dry mixture, crumbling with your fingers. Add cold water until dough forms. Dust counter top very lightly with flour. Roll out dough and cut four circles slightly larger than ramekins.

Peanut-Less Thai Noodle Salad

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Peanut-Less Thai Noodle Salad is made creamy sunflower butter with Thai flavors, crunchy fresh vegetables and served cold for those hot summer days.

Ditch the standard peanut butter for sunflower butter. It’s the perfect substitute for feeding friends with allergies. You’ll love how creamy it is when mixed with a blend of Thai flavors.

For those HOT Summer Days

August is time to break out all those cool, keep you out of the kitchen, salad recipes like this Peanut-Less Thai Noodle Bowl. I, personally love Thai peanut sauce, but my girl Lex is allergic to peanuts, so I try to find ways to adapt. Sunflower butter is the closest ‘nut’ butter that I’ve found that tastes the closest to peanut butter and doesn’t cost $10.00 plus a bottle.

Make it Your Own

There are so many options to make this dish your own. Here are a few ideas:

  • Add crunchy chopped wontons, ramen noodles or dried garbanzo
  • Mix up the vegetables by adding diced celery, napa cabbage or radish
  • Use rice noodles and it’s gluten free
  • Grilled chicken or shrimp for a meal

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Peanut-Less Thai Noodle Salad

Peanut-Less Thai Noodle Salad is made with creamy sunflower butter, packed with fresh colorful vegetables and served cold for those hot summer days.

Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Peanut Free, Summer Salad, vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red cabbage sliced thinly
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced thinly
  • 1 cup sugar peas sliced in 1 inch pieces on the bias
  • 2 carrots sliced thinly matchstick style
  • 1/2 cup green onion chopped
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1/2 lb dry spaghetti noodles cooked according to package directions, drained and rinsed in cold water

Peanut-Less Sauce

  • 3 tbsp sunflower butter
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 pinch red chili flakes
  • 1/2 lime juiced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Toppings

  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts chopped
  • 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
  • 1 lime cut into wedges

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine vegetables and cold cooked noodles. Toss well with Peanut-Less Dressing. Serve with lots of fresh cilantro, lime juice and chopped macadamia nuts. Can be eaten immediately, best if refrigerated for at least 30 minutes.

Peanut-Less Dressing

  • Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Thai Party Wings

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Lemongrass infused Thai Party Wings are grilled and tossed with a blend of sweet and spicy Thai inspired ingredients that really pack in the flavor!

My family has a thing for chicken wings. Every so often, I like to switch up the flavor profile like these Thai inspired party wings. For me, wings have to be crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and packed with flavor. It’s a three part process consisting of marinading, grilling/frying/baking and finishing off with a toss in the bowl with desired sauce.

It’s ALL ABOUT the Lemongrass

Lemongrass is the key ingredient for infusing these wings with out of this world flavor. The lemony flavor really lifts these wings to another level, together with fresh ginger and lots of garlic. You can usually find lemongrass stalks in your grocery store. It’s next to ginger root in the produce section. Often when you get the stalks from the grocery, they have a hard woody exterior. Remove a few of the outer layers until you get down to a softer inner core. This is an important step as lemongrass stalks are fibrous and the outer layers are inedible.

Instagram

If you’re following on Instagram, you may see these recipes in action. I like to share photos of what the food looks like as I’m preparing it and often show this in my Instagram Stories @theherbalistandthecarnivore

So, if you’re not sure what lemongrass looks like OR if the sauce should be packed with that many herbs and spices…check my stories and see!

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Thai Party Wings

Lemongrass infused Thai Party Wings are grilled and tossed with a blend of sweet and spicy Thai inspired ingredients that really pack in the flavor!
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Chicken
Keyword Chicken Wings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 24 party wings

Thai Party Wing Sauce

  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemongrass minced
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 6 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh chives minced
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

  • Combine all Thai Party Wings Sauce ingredients in a bowl. Coat the party wings in 1/2 of the mixture and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  • Fire up the grill. If using charcoal, make an indirect heat area so you don't burn your wings.
  • Grill party wings, turning occasionally, until internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
  • Remove to a large bowl and toss with remaining Thai Party Wing Sauce.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Spears

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Perfect for a summer soiree, these light and fresh Grilled Chicken Caesar Spears are bite size and packed with flavor. Grill your own chicken breast or use pre-grilled bite size chicken from your local grocery.

Light and fresh Grilled Chicken Caesar Spears are packed with flavor

These Grilled Chicken Caesar Spears are SUPER FUN to eat! Chicken breast gets coated in mayonnaise and my favorite spicy seasoning then grilled up to perfection on my Weber charcoal grill. Of course, you could make this even easier by purchasing pre-grilled chicken bites at your local grocery.

I know I’m always looking for quick and easy recipes during the hot Summer months. Recipes that get you away from the kitchen and outside where all the fun is at. These would be the perfect addition to any picnic at the park, especially if you buy the pre-grilled chicken. Just package everything up in your basket and assembly is a cinch when you get to your destination. Or how about on your Summer camping trip? I always welcome anything fresh while I’m camping. In fact, I CRAVE IT!

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I would love to hear from you! If you make my recipe, stop back by and leave a comment. Not only would it totally make my day, feedback helps me deliver the best content on my blog.

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Grilled Chicken Caesar Spears

Light and fresh Grilled Chicken Caesar Spears are bite size and packed with flavor
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Chicken
Keyword 15 minute meals, Bite Size
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 12 romaine lettuce leaves
  • 3 thin chicken breast fillets
  • 1 tsp Zatarain’s cajun seasoning or your favorite seasoning
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • ½ cup Marie’s Caesar dressing
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup parmesan fresh grated
  • ½ cup croutons chopped
  • Lemon slices for serving

Instructions

  • Prepare grill
  • Coat chicken with mayonnaise and seasoning
  • Grill chicken getting nice charred grill lines
  • Remove chicken and let sit for 5 minutes
  • Mix together in a ziplock bag dressing and olive oil, cut tip of bag to create a “piping” bag
  • Cut chicken into cubes
  • Lay out all the romaine lettuce leaves
  • Using the ziplock “piping” bag squeeze a line of dressing on each romaine leaf
  • Arrange about ¼ cup chicken cubes on romaine (how much chicken depends on size of romaine leaf)
  • Using “piping” bag squeeze another line of dressing (I like zig-zag pattern over chicken)
  • Top with chopped croutons and parmesan
  • Serve with lemon wedge
  • * Ingredients are approximate and may need to be increased if using larger romaine lettuce leaves

Macadamia Crusted Snapper with Smoky Mango Sauce

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Buttery Macadamia nuts coat this Pacific Red Snapper for a sweet and nutty crunch that pairs perfectly with a slightly smoky mango sauce. Micro greens that are dressed in a mango vinaigrette add that needed freshness to take this meal to fine dining status.

Why Macadamia Nuts?

I love using macadamia nuts in place of peanuts for most recipes. My daughter has a peanut allergy, so whenever something calls for peanuts, I break out the macadamia nuts. They have a rich, buttery taste and are fairly mild in flavor, which works perfectly as a substitute.

Can’t Find Snapper?

This meaty snapper can also be substituted. You can use cod or any type of rockfish that’s available in your neck of the woods. There are several types of rockfish on the west coast that are labeled as snapper. If you’re on the east coast, look for striped bass. The most important thing is to make sure you are getting the freshest fish out there.

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Macadamia Crusted Snapper with Smoky Mango Puree

Buttery, crunch macadamia crusted cod in a smoky mango sauce
Course Main Course
Cuisine Seafood
Keyword Crunchy Cod, Peanut Free
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

Macadamia Crusted Snapper:

  • 1 lb snapper cut into four equal portions
  • 1 cup Macadamia nut minced
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 cups cooking oil
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1 tsp Zatarain’s Cajun seasoning

Smoky Mango Sauce

  • 1 mango pureed
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1 pinch salt

Micro Green Salad

  • 1 cup mixed micro greens
  • 1/2 cup mango vinaigrette

Mango Vinaigrette

  • 2 tbsp shallot minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh mango puree
  • 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tbsp water
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Macadamia Crusted Snapper

  • In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium high heat.
  • Prepare three dipping stations. Mix macadamia nut with panko in one bowl, blend eggs together in a second bowl, place flour in third bowl.
  • Dip each piece of snapper in flour, then eggs, then macadamia nut mixture.
  • Fry until golden brown (If your pieces of snapper are thick, you may want to fry over medium heat).
  • Remove and place on wire rack (or paper towels).
  • Season with Zatarain’s cajun seasoning.

Smoky Mango Sauce

  • Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Smear a spoonful across plate and top with macadamia crusted snapper.

Mango Vinaigrette

  • Whisk all ingredients together.

Micro Greens Salad

  • Toss micro greens together with mango vinaigrette and serve delicately over macadamia crusted snapper.

Cajun Carbonara, Fried Green Tomato & Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

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Creamy, kicked up Cajun carbonara gets piled high with a fried green tomato and bacon wrapped shrimp. Bits of corn, garden sugar peas and vine ripened cherry tomatoes add a fresh summery touch.

I’ve been waiting all year for fried green tomatoes. I love the cornmeal crunch and that beautiful juicy green tomato fresh from the garden. It’s good served alone, but it’s even better served with mesquite smoked bacon wrapped shrimp and creamy Cajun carbonara.

Carbonara is such a simple way to create a sauce for pasta and it’s so easy to transform with various herbs and spices. This time we went Southern, mostly because it pairs so perfectly with fried green tomatoes. How many people get a visual of Kathy Bates smashing through the wall in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes yelling Towanda? I do! Every time. I love that movie.

If you close your eyes, this dish will put you right down south, sitting out on the patio, soaking up the sun.

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Cajun Carbonara, Fried Green Tomato & Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Cajun Carbonara piled high with fried green tomato and bacon wrapped shrimp
Course Main Course
Cuisine Creole, Pasta
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

Fried Green Tomatoes

  • 1 large green tomato sliced in 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup corn meal
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1 tsp Cajun seasoning such as Slap Ya Mama Zatarains or Tony Cachere's
  • vegetable oil for frying

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

  • 12 large/extra large shrimp cleaned, shell removed, tail left on
  • 6 slices thick cut mesquite bacon cut in half
  • 2 ears corn cut off the cob
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup sugar peas sliced on bias
  • 1 tbsp shallot

Cajun Carbonara

  • 9 oz fresh fettuccine cooked according to directions, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water
  • 2 egg yolks beaten
  • 1/2 cup parmesan shredded
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley fine chopped
  • 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

Extras

  • 1 lemon cut in wedges for serving

Instructions

Fried Green Tomatoes

  • Heat vegetable oil in a wide rimmed pan about an inch deep over medium heat.
    Set up three bowls: 1 cup of flour in one bowl, 2 eggs in second bowl, and 1/2 cup flour plus 1/2 cup cornmeal plus Cajun seasoning in third bowl. Dredge each green tomato slice in flour, then egg and finally the cornmeal mixture. Let sit on a wire rack or paper towel until ready to fry.
  • Fry each green tomato until golden brown. Season with a pinch of Cajun seasoning immediately after frying.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

  • Wrap each shrimp with a half slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook until bacon starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallot, corn and peas to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook another 2 minutes. Push mixture over to side and add shrimp back to the pan, toothpicks removed. (the bacon should be cooked enough that is stays on the shrimp). Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to plate.

Cajun Carbonara

  • In a small bowl, combine egg yolks and parmesan. Drain cooked fettuccine (reserving about 1/2 cup of the water). Combine egg yolk mixture with fettuccine and toss to combine. Add reserved pasta water, Cajun seasoning and fresh parsley.

Plate your dish

  • Pile Cajun Carbonara on plate, top with a fried green tomato and top that with the bacon wrapped shrimp mixture. Drizzle with lemon.

Summer Salad with Fried Goat Cheese Medallions

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Lightly fried goat cheese medallions sit ever so delicately on this inviting summer salad with fresh, seasonal greens layered with cucumber, radish and garden peas. Perfect as a main dish or served with grilled protein.

Whether you have your own vegetable garden or frequent the local Farmer’s Market, you can create a beautiful salad from your bounty of produce. During these hot and unusually muggy days of summer, we look towards quick, fresh dinner ideas. This salad takes all those seasonal veggies and layers them into a beautiful summer salad.  It is so pretty that it almost doubles as a table centerpiece with beautiful scalloped edged butter lettuce and lacy arugula. Halved pea pods, thinly sliced radish and cucumber add a whimsical and artsy touch.  And who doesn’t like fried cheese?

It’s All About The Goat Cheese

For this recipe, you want to look for an 8 oz. goat cheese log.  It makes life easier to simply cut the log into 1 oz. medallions instead of trying to form them.  I used herbed goat cheese, but feel free to use any flavor that tickles your fancy.  You can get goat cheese in a variety of flavors from plain to garlic herb and even truffle flavored. You’ll want to keep the goat cheese refrigerated until ready to fry, that way it holds its shape and you end up with perfectly round medallions.   Nestle them in the layers of salad just before serving.

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Summer Salad with Fried Goat Cheese Medallions

Lightly fried goat cheese medallions sit ever so delicately on this inviting summer salad with fresh, seasonal greens layered with cucumber, radish and garden peas.
Course Salad
Cuisine Vegetarian
Keyword 15 minute dinners, Fried Goat Cheese, Summer Salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 head butter lettuce torn
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 4 radish sliced thin
  • 1/2 cucumber sliced thin
  • 1 cup snap peas sliced with a few cut lengthwise to expose peas

Fried Goat Cheese

  • 8 oz goat cheese log sliced into 8 rounds
  • 1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder
  • vegetable oil for frying

Vinaigrette

  • 1 tbsp shallot minced
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar can sub rice wine, balsamic or red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sugar can sub honey or agave
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

Salad

  • Layer butter lettuce, arugula, radish, cucumber and snap peas in a large salad bowl.

Fried Goat Cheese

  • Heat enough vegetable oil in a large saute panver medium high heat to cover thickness of goat cheese medallions.
  • Coat each goat cheese medallion in flour, then egg, then Panko.
  • Gently fry each goat cheese medallion until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel.
  • Arrange fried goat cheese medallions over salad and serve with your favorite dressing or use my favorite vinaigrette.

Classic Vinaigrette

  • Whisk all ingredients together. Drizzle over salad.

Chili Rubbed Pork Chops

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Spice it up with these chili rubbed pork chops and corn relish. Tender grilled pork that’s been rubbed with a blend of chili spices and topped with a seasonal relish of corn, peppers and tomatoes. Celebrate summer in just 15 minutes with this easy to follow weeknight meal.

Spice it up with these chili rubbed pork chops and corn relish.

When summer rolls around, it’s time to eat corn. I love coming up with creative ways to use corn. Anything from a quick relish, like this, to a corn puree and of course, just plain old buttered corn. It’s fresh, it’s seasonal and it’s budget friendly. All things that make me very happy.

I like buying my corn on the cob from the local farm stands, simply because you know where it’s coming from. There are still a few farms around here that go by the honor system. You know, pull up to a huge bin of corn, leave a few bucks in the drop box and away you go with fresh corn. This year is my first year trying to grow my own corn. My dad was an expert corn grower and very adamant that your corn had to be ‘knee high by the fourth of July’ and his was just that. I have a small garden where I planted 3 rows of sweet corn and 1 row of Indian corn (this may or may not be the correct term, but that’s what we call it). Only 4 stalks were knee high by the fourth of July, so I’m praying and hoping it all works out. If not, I’ve got some great decorations for fall.

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Chili Rubbed Pork Chops

Spice it up with these chili rubbed pork chops and corn relish.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Pork
Keyword 15 minute meals
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

Chili Rubbed Pork Chops

  • 4 bone in pork chops
  • 1 can ginger ale
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Corn Relish

  • 4 ears corn cut off the cob
  • 1 cup red onion small diced
  • 1/2 jalapeno seeded, small diced
  • 6 mini sweet peppers sliced in rounds
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Chili Rubbed Pork Chops

  • Soak pork chops in ginger ale while the grill heats up.
  • Combine paprika, garlic, salt, cumin, pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Remove pork chops from ginger ale and rub with spice blend. Drizzle with olive oil.
  • Grill until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. About 3-4 minutes on each side.

Corn Relish

  • Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add onion, jalapeno and peppers. Stirring for about 2 minutes. Add corn, stir for a minute. Add tomatoes and stir for an additional minutes. Remove and serve over pork chops.

Chicken Skewers with Apricot, Blueberries & Basil

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Farmer’s market finds turn grilled chicken skewers into a delightful summer dish with apricots, blueberries & basil. Drizzled in a basil honey vinaigrette and served along side grilled lemon halves. This dish belongs outside on the patio with a nice glass of vino.

One of my favorite things to do is visit our local farmer’s market. I like to go before I do my weekly grocery trip and see what fresh produce I can find, then I base my weekly menu off of these seasonal ingredients. This week it was ALL ABOUT the apricots. Fresh apricots from Eastern Washington and they are Oh-So-Tasty!

I really wanted to celebrate their fresh natural state and thought, paired with blueberries and basil, and drizzled with a honey basil vinaigrette would be perfect. That sweet and tangy vinaigrette drips down through the apricots and onto the grilled chicken skewers for extra flavor.

This recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes because…duh it’s SUMMERTIME and we want to play/relax/enjoy, right? Here’s a few more recipes that are perfect for your #summerpicnic and will leave you with time to soak up the last bit of sunshine.

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Chicken Skewers with Apricot, Blueberries & Basil

Course Main Course
Cuisine Chicken
Keyword 30 Minute Dinner, Farmer’s Market Meal, Summer Picnic
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Skewers

Ingredients

Chicken Skewers

  • 8 chicken tenderloins
  • 1/2 cup Marie's Basil Pesto Vinaigrette

Honey Basil Vinaigrette

  • 1 tbsp shallot minced
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade
  • salt and pepper to taste

Other

  • 2 apricots sliced
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1 lemon halved

Instructions

Chicken Skewers

  • Marinade chicken tenderloins in Marie's Basil Pesto Vinaigrette while you heat up the grill.
  • Thread two tenderloins on each skewer. Grill until opaque in center and juices run clear (165 degrees internal temp) Grill lemon halves flesh side down until charred.
  • Dress chicken skewers with Apricot, Blueberries & Basil mixture.

Honey Basil Vinaigrette

  • Combine all ingredients together and drizzle over apricot, blueberries, basil and chicken skewers.