Thank you to HelloFresh for sponsoring this post!
Get your summer grilling started with these fresh Lemon Basil Shrimp Skewers full of freshness and flavor!
To quote the Good Doctor (Seuss), “How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” Time is a funny thing in the context of life. We are constantly planning and acting for tomorrow, while looking forward to, or dreading, the future. Yesterday is lamented or idealized, while our greatest victories always seem to be just around the corner. Pleasures, great and small, slip through our fingers before we’ve scarcely a chance to savor them, while agonies take the shape of tiny eternities.
To that effect, Benjamin Franklin remarked that “Lost time is never found again,” and thus we ought to make the most of each of life’s many chapters.
Oddly enough, running a food site with a slant towards entertaining always keeps ‘Time’ at the forefront – and not just because of scheduling. Instead, people are always, rightly, on the lookout for how to save time, whether planning parties or just trying to fit in weeknight dinners. How to streamline preparation, how to simplify recipes, and how to trim down shopping lists at times seems to be more the center of attention than even the food in question.
Needless to say, those very themes are more or less in perpetual focus here at Living the Gourmet, and I will admit that on a non-to-rare occasion we find ourselves struggling not only for time but also with fitting in proper meals when the days and nights are particularly busy. After all, time is an ever so elusive commodity.
That actually brings us not only to today’s recipe, but also to a recent find we made quite by chance.
To set the stage, imagine if for those busy weeknights that both the grocery shopping and recipe planning could be handled for you. What if even the preparation could be streamlined through simple instructions? Obviously, not only would you save time in kitchen, but also partially eliminate those pesky runs to grocery store. And not least of all you would be spared a good deal of frustration associated with trying to fit in meals that are both healthy and enjoyable. In other words, time saved.
That’s actually precisely what HelloFresh does by planning out healthy, delicious meals for you, and shipping not only the ingredients for those meals to your door, but also expertly composed instructions for putting those meals together.
Take for example today’s recipe – Lemon Basil Shrimp Skewers. All of the ingredients for today’s recipe came packed neatly in a plain brown and green box, and with precisely the allotted portions called for in instructions – orzo, shrimp, lemon, garlic, basil, Roma tomatoes, avocado, vinegar, and even the skewers themselves. As the name implies, all ingredients arrived crisp and fresh. Serving three to four, it was just enough for myself and my ‘crew.’ As promised in the recipe outline, the total time for this recipe was about twenty-five minutes.
We also received a menu for several other items, along with the groceries and instructions necessary to put those meals together, which we’ll be posting later on. In other words, most of week’s shopping and planning were handled entirely for us.
If you're new in the kitchen, there’s no need to feel intimidated here, the recipe booklet describes the ‘level’ of each recipe, basically a difficulty rating, and instructs you where to start in addition to outlining the prep as simply as possible.
Needless to say, this is an absolute God send for busy weeks, where planning and shopping for meals would take maximal effort. However, I also think it’s great for those just starting out in the kitchen, who might be new to navigating recipes and shopping lists – a sort of crash course on the gourmet.
Lemon Basil Shrimp Skewers featuring HelloFresh
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 20 oz. shrimp
- 12 oz. orzo
- 8 wooden skewers
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 4 Tablespoons white wine viegar
- 1 avocado
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 oz. basil
- 2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler or grill to high. If you do not have either, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Soak the skewers in a shallow dish of water. Core, seed and dice the tomato. Mince of grate the garlic. Zest, then halve the lemon. Finely chop the basil leaves. Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook for 6-8 minutes, until al dente. Drain.
- Place the tomatoes and white wine vinegar in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss, then set aside to marinate.
- Make the lemon-basil butter: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in half the basil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drain the tomatoes. Halve, pit and cube the avocado. Once the orzo is ready, toss it into a large bowl with the tomatoes, half of the avocado, the remaining basil, a large drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice (to taste). Season with salt and butter.
- Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, the lemon zest , garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Thread them on to the skewers and either broil on a baking sheet or grill for 3-4 minutes, flipping once, until cooked through.
- Serve the shrimp skewers on a bed or orzo and avocado salad. Drizzle with the lemon-basil butter and enjoy.
- Category: Main Dish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
If saving time in the kitchen is what you’re looking for you, or you’re just getting acquainted with home cooking, HelloFresh is exactly what you need.
What are some of your best time-saving tips? We would love to hear from you!
Looking for vegan options? Check out Vegan Meal Prep Delivery! Place orders at the Vegan Meal Prep Delivery service and receive meals perfectly matched to your food preferences. Trust in the expertise of trained chefs who can bring out the delectable flavors of the plant-based elements that go into every vegan meal.
Enjoy with Love!
4
Chiara says
I like any kind of skewers but especially those with fish, a full meal combined with orzo, have a nice day my dear Catherine, a hug, xo
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
Dear Catherine, I love those lines from Dr. Seuess - time does seem to fly by while I try so desperately to cling to it - and for those hectic weeks/nights, Hello Fresh seems to be a Godsend indeed! Cannot beat having all the ingredients for a meal delivered straight to you - and what a tasty meal this is! Thanks so much for sharing and introducing me to Hello fresh!
Emily @ Life on Food says
Hello Fresh is a life saver some weeks!
Claudia Lamascolo says
what a super supper and great job on all your posts you certainly make your sponsors proud! WOW!
Dottie Sauchelli-Balin says
Dear Catherine,
Shrimp is so good and easy. I love Orzo and have not had that in a long time. My mom used to use Orzo with soup, but I love this idea with the shrimp. Looks so appetizing and very refreshing with the lemon added. Never tried Hello Fresh, something to think about. Thanks for sharing....I love your words..Have a blessed rest of the week...
Hugs Dottie 🙂
Nancy@SpicieFoodie says
What a fantastic shrimp recipe and dish. The service sounds wonderful.
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
I am all for saving time in the kitchen! I need to look into this hello fresh! Love the skewers!
Jess says
YUM! This sounds simply amazing!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Pam says
Hi Catherine! My grandson loves Dr. Seuss stories and so do I, but your shrimp dish is even better! It looks delicious and what a great thing for a quick easy meal!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Hello Fresh sounds like a dream come true Catherine! All that fresh produce and the makings of a gourmet meal done so simply. I too am always looking for ways to save time without sacrificing quality, this looks like the perfect answer for delicious dinners on busy nights! Add a bottle of white - perfection! XO
Miz Helen says
I have been interested in the Hello Fresh Service and wondered if it was really good. Your Shrimp Skewers look delicious! Hope you have a very special Fathers Day Weekend and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Shirley Wood says
Now I need to make another trip to the grocery store because this recipe sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing with us at Merry Monday.
Lisa | Garlic Zest says
I've seen these services advertised all over the place and I think they'd be great for people who just don't want to think about dinner - or are new to cooking.
Christine | Vermilion Roots says
What a great recipe. I like the Hello Fresh idea.
Beth @ Binky's Culinary Carnival says
you are certainly right about time. Your prologue is profound! This sounds like a great time saver. I am always skeptical buying from these companies. I always expect the produce is not fresh, etc. Good to know that it is!
Lisa says
What a great service and delicious looking dish!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
I'm a huge fan of these companies, I haven't tried this one, but I'd love to. It's such a luxury to be able to cook a beautiful meal without the hassle of shopping and prepping!
April J Harris says
I have heard of HelloFresh but never tried them. Everything looks amazing and your Lemon Basil Shrimp Skewers look mouth-wateringly delicious! Thank you for sharing them with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop.
Amy @ Ms. Toody Goo Shoes says
This is a perfect summer meal! Thanks for linking up your recipes at Best of the Weekend, Catherine!
swathi says
The lemon basil shrimp skewers looks delicious Love to try it , thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop. pinning.
Elaine says
First I would like to commend the whole meal recipe. Too often you look up a recipe and then are stuck scrounging around for a side dish to go with it. These two go along great together.
I am eating this as I write. Shrimp came out super, on the grill. Particularly noteworthy, however is that salad! MY that is delicious! (i also discovered that avocados ripen up quick if you leave them out in the sun for a bit - went from hard to just right in about 2 hrs) I would go so far as to bring it for a pasta salad at your next pot luck. The salad can stand alone, but these two together make for a heck of great eats.