Summer in many areas of the world means grilling time! Although for “us Floridians,” we fire up the grill all winter long! So when many of you were “hunkered down” seemingly forever, I came up with this light ‘n healthy meal-in-a-bowl that embraces the fun and flavorful tastes of summer.
And as August rolls around with school schedules and activities quickly ramping up, let this super-easy to make one dish meal help you get this yummy kid-friendly dish on the table-QUICK. For more MPM Dinners in a Flash look here.
I am betting your family will have a blast with these shrimp kabob bowls as the variations that can be created are endless. So use my “bowl additions” as your guide, choosing all of your family’s favorite proteins, veggies and fun toppings. Are you telling me that shrimp lovers don’t live at your house? How about making these kabobs with chicken, salmon, scallops, beef or tofu?
Meals in a bowl are intended to be stress-free! Look here for my Timesaver Tips!
Grilled Mexican Shrimp Kabob Bowls
Yield: 4 servings
Click HERE for the full recipe, but in the nutshell, here is what you do:
Instructions
Taco Ranch Dressing (or your favorite creamy Mexican-style dressing) Prepare dressing as directed in recipe. Store covered and refrigerated until serving time.
Mango Salsa (or your favorite chunky salsa) Prepare salsa as directed in recipe. Store covered and refrigerated until serving time .
Baked Tortilla Strips (or your favorite whole-grain tortilla chips) Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Cut tortillas into 1/2-inch strips. Cut each strip cross-wise into thirds. Arrange strips on a baking sheet. (lined with parchment paper or foil if desired) Lightly coat each tortilla strip with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with desired seasonings.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch carefully; do not allow to burn. Tortilla strips will crisp after cooling.
Marinating the Shrimp
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.
Thread shrimp evenly onto each skewer. Arrange in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Pour marinade over skewers, tossing to coat. Cover; refrigerate for 30 minutes , turning once.
Grilling the Shrimp
Lightly oil grill rack. Preheat grill to medium-high setting. Place skewers on rack. Discard any remaining marinade.
Grill for about 3 minutes, turning once. When shrimp are cooked through (inside should be opaque), remove skewers to a platter.
Suggested Assembly (or have everyone make their own yummy creations!) In a small bowl, toss corn and black beans with juice of ½ of a lime. Toss avocado with juice of remaining half of lime. (to prevent browning)
Divide hot cooked rice into bowls. (If desired, toss hot rice with chopped cilantro and/or parsley.)
In each bowl, arrange cherry tomatoes, black bean-corn mixture, avocado, mini bell peppers, green onions and shredded cheese as desired on top of rice.
Lay a shrimp skewer across each bowl. (Note: for photography purposes, I placed 2 skewers onto larger bowls.) Garnish each bowl with lemon and lime slices. (optional)
I am betting your family will have a blast with these healthy and super-easy shrimp kabob bowls as the variations that can be created are endless. So use my “bowl additions” as your guide, choosing all of your family’s favorite proteins, veggies and fun toppings. No shrimp lovers at your house? How about making these kabobs with chicken, salmon, scallops, beef or tofu?
Baked Tortilla Strips (or your favorite store-bought whole-grain tortilla chips)
48-inch whole-grain tortillas
Seasonings as desiredsuch as coarse salt, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, etc.
Olive oil sprayI use an oil sprayer such as the Misto
Parchment paper or foiloptional
Shrimp Marinade
3garlic cloveschopped
1tablespoonchopped fresh cilantro
1tablespoonfresh parsley
2green onionssliced
2tablespoonsfresh lime juice1 to 2 limes
2tablespoonsolive oil
1-2teaspoonschili powder
1teaspoonground cumin
¼teaspoonsalt
Hot sauce as desired
24 to 26large raw shrimpabout 1 pound, peeled and deveined
412-inch wooden skewers (*soak in water for 20 minutes to prevent burning)
Oil for grill rack
Bowl Add-In’s
2cupscherry tomatoeshalved (I used red and yellow)
1cupcanned corndrained (without sugar or additives)
1cupcanned low-sodium black beansrinsed and drained
1medium ripe avocadopeeled, seed removed and flesh cut into chunks
1limehalved
11-pound package multi-colored mini bell peppers (or 3 large bell peppers, cut into chunks)
2green onionssliced
1cupshredded cheddar cheese
4cupshot cooked brown riceor quinoa
2tablespoonschopped cilantro and/or parsleyoptional for stirring into rice
Garnish (optional)
1lemoncut into slices
1limecut into slices
4dinner-sized bowls
Instructions
Taco Ranch Dressing
Prepare dressing as directed in recipe. Store covered and refrigerated until serving time.
Mango Salsa
Prepare salsa as directed in recipe. Store covered and refrigerated until serving time.
Baked Tortilla Strips
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Cut tortillas into 1/2-inch strips. Cut each strip cross-wise into thirds. Arrange strips on a baking sheet. (lined with parchment paper or foil if desired)
Lightly coat each tortilla strip with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with desired seasonings.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch carefully; do not allow to burn. Tortilla strips will crisp after cooling.
Marinating the Shrimp
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Thread shrimp evenly onto each skewer. Arrange in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Pour marinade over skewers, tossing to coat. Cover; refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning once/
Grilling the Shrimp
Lightly oil grill rack. Preheat grill to medium-high setting. Place skewers on rack. Discard any remaining marinade.
Grill for about 3 minutes, turning once. When shrimp are cooked through (inside should be opaque), remove skewers to a platter.
Suggested Assembly (or have everyone make their own yummy creations!)
In a small bowl, toss corn and black beans with juice of ½ of a lime. Toss avocado with juice of remaining half of lime. (to prevent browning)
Divide hot cooked rice into bowls. (If desired, toss hot rice with chopped cilantro and/or parsley.)
In each bowl, arrange cherry tomatoes, black bean-corn mixture, avocado, mini bell peppers, green onions and shredded cheese as desired on top of rice.
Lay a shrimp skewer across each bowl.
Garnish each bowl with lemon and lime slices. (optional)
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: marinade may be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Store covered and refrigerated. Shrimp should be marinated no more than 30 minutes prior to grilling. Dressing may be made up to 3 days ahead; cover and refrigerate. Salsa may be made up to 2 days ahead; drain before serving. Shrimp bowls are best assembled just prior to serving.
Notes
Baked tortilla strips are a delicious crunchy topping for soups, casseroles and salads! They also make a terrific healthy “munch!” Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 month. No time to make? Store-bought whole-grain tortilla chips will be just fine.
Timesaver Tips! Meals-in-a-bowl are intended to be stress-free! So for time-crunched nights, do swap my homemade Taco Ranch Dressing, Mango Salsa and baked tortilla chips with healthy store-bought favorites as needed. And for even quicker prep, have all your ingredients assembled prior to grilling shrimp. This way, these bowls come together in just minutes!
Coming to the Blog: MPM’s Back to School Foodie Fun!
Ceeya next Time!
Hungry for More?
I invite you to visit my Recipe Collections where lots of goodies such as Back to School, Pudge-Busting Dishes, Pack ‘n Go Lunch Favorites, Favorite Poultry Dishes, Dinners in a Flash, Freezer-Friendly Meals, Favorite Crockpot Dishes, and Healthier Indulgences are awaiting your discovery!
Can You Become a Meal Planning Maven Success Story?
YES!Contact me for more information about my services. I would love to share my healthy eating secrets you can use, today, tomorrow and always. My specialties include creating customized meal planners and one- on- one food coaching using tried ‘n true methods. Whether your goal is to feed your family healthier meals, build a collection of quick ‘n easy recipes, “go gluten-free,” or perhaps knock off that pesky “pudge” that has already found its way to your middle over the holidays …I’d LOVE to try to help!
If you enjoy my blogs, please take a moment to leave me a comment. Find a recipe you love? Then do drop me a note! For your convenience, there is a section located at the end of each blog. Thanks so much for your support!
Linda, Monday night I had shrimp thawed and wanted to grill them with Mexican flavors (no lie) and I just could not come up with anything and here you go...you put up this fabulous Mexican flavored shrimp that I am so happy about and can't wait to try it.
August 5, 2015
Linda Shapiro (Meal Planning Maven)
Fantastic Patty! Have fun with these...the possibilities are endless!
What a gorgeous summer meal, Linda! I love this! And those baked tortilla strips are a lovely healthier way to enjoy one of my favourite treats too :-)
August 6, 2015
Linda Shapiro (Meal Planning Maven)
Thanks so much April! We make baked pita and tortilla chips all the time as they are so versatile and yummy...and yes, so much healthier than store-bought ones!
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