I love pesto! It’s great on pasta, great on sandwiches, great on meat! I’ve found that blending it with vegetables is a great way to get that pesto taste, without as many points! And the best way to use this pesto: Spinach Pesto Shrimp Skewers!
Pesto Shrimp Skewers
Equipment
- Skewers
Ingredients
- 6 oz pesto
- 3 oz fresh spinach
- 1 lbs shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Place spinach in food processor or blender. Add pesto and blend until smooth.
- Marinate shrimp in pesto for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat grill or broiler.
- Place shrimp and tomatoes on skewers, grill or broil for five minutes.
Notes
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Pesto is easy to make. I mean, really easy to make. Pesto is basically olive oil, pine nuts, basil, and garlic blended together. I had planned on making my own, but I was having basil issues this week. The first grocery I shopped at was sold out. Guess I wasn’t the only one making pesto this week. I stopped at a second store, and the basil didn’t look that great. Rather than roll the dice and try a third store, I’d decided to just buy a jar of pesto.
I have since learned that my neighbor has two flourishing basil plants that I am welcomed to if I have basil issues again. I will attempt to not abuse this privilege, or at least pay her back in fresh pesto.
This recipe calls for spinach pesto. What is spinach pesto? Pesto with spinach added in. Why would I want to add spinach to my pesto? Well, for one, it’s actually tastes pretty good. The other is for anyone that loves pesto, but not such a big fan of the calories that it comes with. After all, it is sort of doctored up olive oil. Spinach adds some bulk, but that pesto flavor still come through.
To make your spinach pesto, just place the spinach in a food processor or blender. Add pesto and blend until smooth. If you have a small blender or food processor (I used a nutrabullet) you can add spinach after you start blending, if it doesn’t all fit at once.
The pesto should have a thicker constancy and probably a brighter green color. Now we want to let the shrimp marinate in it to soak up all that pesto goodness. Place your shrimp in a ziplock bag or large bowl. Cover with pesto and stir to combine. Set the shrimp aside and let it marinate for at least half an hour.
So now we have a little down time. If you’re using wooden skewers, now is a good time to place them in water and let them start to soak. If you are using wooden skewers, why? You have to remember to soak them, they’re flimsy, and don’t hold heavy foods well. Be sure to check out our set of stainless steel skewers in the Hoppin Meal Plans store.
It’s beautiful out here, and I am heading to the grill. Believe it or not, I didn’t have a barbaque grill until I got married. I lived in a condo and grills were a no-no (fire hazard). My husband and I got one as a house warming gift when we bought a house shortly before we got married. I figured that I would leave the grilling to him, but I’m not sure he even knows where the grill tools are at this point!
If you do not have a grill, or just don’t want to grill (hey, we get rain here too) you can always broil your skewers. Oh, don’t have skewers? You can use a grill basket for the grill or a sheet pan for the oven.
Take your shrimp, your tomatoes, and your skewers. Alternate shrimp and tomatoes on the skewers. Place the skewers on the grill or under the broiler. These don’t too long at all to cook up, probably only about 5 minutes.
Remove from grill or oven and serve hot. I personally like these with a little light pasta or zoodles.
Like shrimp? We do too! Don’t forget to check out some of our other shrimpy favs like Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry or Shrimp Risotto.
And don’t forget to check out our Hoppin Meal Plans store – meal plans and unique kitchen (or back deck) tools!
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