Grilled shrimp and squash with green beans

This dish completely blew our taste buds out of the water! It surpassed all expectations for deliciousness. I chose this recipe out of our Weeknight Fresh & Fast cookbook (one of my favorites, by the way) because it seemed like a clean, simple dish that utilized fresh veggies and a seafood protein. The Dijon vinaigrette is wonderful, ties the whole dish together and makes it a show stopper.

The original recipe is just the shrimp and squash. I was planning to serve the green beans as a side but as I was finishing the shrimp and summer squash I decided to toss everything together for a one-dish meal!

Grilled Shrimp and Summer Squash with Green Beans inspiration from Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh & Fast

   Serves 4 | Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 tsp Dijon mustard  

Grated zest of 1 lemon 

2 tbsp . fresh lemon juice  

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing 

1 small serrano chili, seeded and minced or jalapeno

1 tsp minced fresh marjoram we subbed oregano

1 tbsp minced fresh basil 

salt and pepper, to taste 

1 1/4 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails intact 

8 summer squash, cut lengthwise into 3 pieces each 

Directions

   Soak bamboo skewers in water to cover for 30 minutes if using a gril. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill. We used our grill pan.

   Put the mustard in a small bowl. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well. Gradually whisk in the 1/3 cup olive oil, then mix in the pepper, marjoram and basil. I used a small food processor. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Set aside. 

   Drain the skewers. Thread about 4 of the shrimp on a skewer and then thread a second skewer through the shrimp, parallel to the first, to prevent the shrimp from spinning around on the skewers. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. Place the squash and shrimp on a large baking sheet. Brush the shrimp and squash with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. 

   Arrange the squash on the grill, cover the grill and cook, turning once, until tender and lightly charred, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Place the shrimp on the grill and cook, uncovered, turning once, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the skewers and cut the squash crosswise. 

   Meanwhile prepare a medium pot with boiling water and a steamer basket. Steam green beans until crisp-tender and bright green, about 8 minutes.

   Transfer the shrimp and squash and green beans to a bowl and toss with the lemon-herb sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.