Summer Dinner Ideas: Dinner on a Stick

I made Shrimp Kabobs for dinner last night. Yum! I love to make kabobs. It's a very weight loss surgery friendly meal. They are great for post-op entertaining too. Here's last night's dinner (recipe and food porn):

Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Gastric Bypass Vertical Sleeve RNY VSG Recipes Blog Cooking Menus
Shelly's Scampi Skewers

1 Pound Fresh or Frozen Shrimp (large)
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Good Olive Oil
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Greek Seasoning (I use Konriko's)
2 Tablespoon Dry White Wine

Thaw Shrimp, if frozen. Peel and De-vein. Rinse. Thread Shrimp onto skewers. Melt butter. Stir in olive oil, garlic, parsley, and Greek Seasoning. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in wine. Heat through. Grill Shrimp 6-10 minutes, turning once and brushing frequently with sauce.


My Kabob Party:

When I have people over for Kabobs I keep the skewered theme going through out the entire meal. It's a little Cher in Mermaids but what the hell.

I serve Appetizers like Caprese Skewers, Skewered Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Antipasto Skewers with rolled Cold Cuts, Marinated Veggies and Cheese Cubes.

The Main Dish: Kabobs (a variety) or I just cut up everything into cubes and have a build-your-own kabob bar. I have a killer lazy susan with little dishes I picked up at a thrift just for this purpose.

Dessert is grilled Fruit Skewers (Pineapple, Peaches, Plums, Figs) or Cold Fruit Skewers (Basically Fruit Salad on a Stick) and I'll make a Chocolate or Marshmallow Sauce for those that want to dip.

It's all post gastric bypass friendly (minus the Chocolate Dip) and your guests won't even realize it.

Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Gastric Bypass Vertical Sleeve RNY VSG Recipes Blog Cooking Menus
Here's some Kabobs I make:

Meat: Chicken, Steak, Ground Beef/Meatloaf Mix with seasonings (see below), Turkey, Sausages.
Seafood: Shrimp, Scallops, a Combo of the two, Firm Fish: like Swordfish, Salmon, Halibut.
Veggies: Onions, Peppers, Mushrooms, Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Eggplant.
Fruit: Plums, Peaches, Pineapple, Figs, Melon, Grapes, Cherries.
Other: Cheese Cubes, Cold Cuts, Marinated Veggies (Artichoke Hearts, Giardiniera, Pickles, Olives).

Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Gastric Bypass Vertical Sleeve RNY VSG Recipes Blog Cooking Menus
Kabob Tips:

* I don't like to mix veggies and meat together. I tend to make an all veggie kabob and an all meat one. Meats and veggies cook at different times. If you do mix them just realize that your cherry tomatoes will be bursting when your beef still needs a few minutes.

* Keep all ingredients about the same size so they cook evenly.

* Be sure the grill is clean, hot, and well oiled so the food will release.

* Put the kabobs on the grill and leave them, flip once or twice at the most.

* Marinating (Italian Dressing is great) and/or basting makes the kabobs easier for us post-ops to eat.

* Dipping sauces are great too. I make Tzatiki (Yogurt Cucumber Dip) and Trader Joe's sells a yummy Cilantro Yogurt Dip or Hummus.


Equipment Needed: Grill (Charcoal or Gas), Skewers (I think metal are best but you can always use those bamboo skewers just soak them in water for about hour before using them)

Seasonings: You can use pretty much any but my favorites are the Sadaf line of Kabob Seasonings for Chicken, Ground Beef, Steak and Konriko Greek Seasoning.