Grilled Shrimp and Chorizo Skewers

EmilyStrikesAgain's Note:

This is a Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals recipe that has been a staple of mine for a year or so. Includes a recipe for piquillo gazpacho to serve on the side. (Note: I have always used soft chorizo in place of the cured and "grilled" it on a stovetop grill pan and it turns out fine, though be sure to really compact it so they don't fall off)

• Total Time: 18 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 16 peeled and deveined extra-large shrimp
• coarse salt
• ½ lemon, juice of (and use the whole lemon, zested)
• olive oil , for liberal drizzling
• ¾ lb chorizo sausage , cut into 16 thick slices on an angle
• ½ cup flat leaf parsley
• ½ cup cilantro leaf
• 2 garlic cloves , cracked from skin
• 1 cup roasted red pepper , drained (piquillo)
• 1 (28 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes , diced
• 1 small yellow onion , coarsely chopped
• ½ seedless cucumber , seedless, chopped
• 2 celery ribs , from heart chopped
• 2 slices crusty bread , thick slices, chopped
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (adjust to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat grill or grill pan over medium high heat.
2. Place shrimp in shallow dish and season with salt, lemon juice and a liberal drizzle of olive oil, just enough to coat the shrimp. Skewer 4 shrimp alternating with 4 slices of chorizo on each skewer.
3. Place palmful of parsley on cutting board with the lemon zest. Add 1/2 palmful of cilantro leaves to the pile as well as 1 clove of garlic. Finely chop mixture and reserve for sprinkling over shrimp and gazpacho.
4. Place remaining herbs and garlic in a food processor or large blender with peppers, tomatoes, chopped vegetables, bread and hot sauce and proceed until smooth.
5. Grill shrimp and chorizo 3-4 minutes on each side until shrimp is firm and opaque. Serve small bowls of gazpacho with shrimp skewers resting across the top of bowls for dipping and dunking.
6. Garnish with reserved parsley, cilantro and garlic mixture.

Reviews

[Ppaperdoll]

Made this for Pac Spriing '08. I liked it, but felt the gazpacho needed a little something else (other than hot sauce, which I thought detracted from the Chorizo taste in the skewers), so I added celery salt. That's the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars. A very good recipe Emily Strikes Again! Thanks.