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Thursday, August 12, 2010

Shrimp & Apple Kebabs with Curried Lentils

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I have a magazine obsession. It's rather out of control and I'm embarrassed to admit how many magazines I currently subscribe to. In my defense, I usually buy them when they're on super sale on Amazon. Then a few are gifts and a few I bought in a fundraiser. Additionally, I've worked out a trading system with a coworker, so I now have an even greater abundance to read from each month. Apparently I've always been a magazine-lover. At eighteen months old, my mom found me sitting on the couch flipping through the pages of a magazine, absolutely enthralled. You can often find me in that same position today!

I love scanning magazines for recipes, but I'm not very good about actually ripping the page out and making it. (Hmm, perhaps this would be a good challenge for 2011?!) My problem is that I decide I want to make something but then forget about it and shelve the magazine. When I saw this kebab recipe in August's Shape magazine, I immediately copied down the recipe and added it to my menu plan. I'm glad I didn't let this recipe fall by the wayside, as this turned out to be a wonderful dinner.

Apples aren't a typical kebab ingredient, but they worked really well with the shrimp. We used pre-cooked frozen shrimp that we thawed and if you do the same, I recommend drying the shrimp before adding them to the marinade. Our shrimp were pretty watery and the marinade had a tough time sticking. Even so, we could lightly taste it once grilled and really enjoyed the flavor. I think my favorite part of the meal was the curried lentils. I didn't omit the mustard and even Ryan, the mustard-hater, liked the lentils. The dressing was pretty sweet; if you really like curry, I would add more than the given amount as we didn't think the curry flavor came through strong enough. Together, the kebabs and lentils were a great combination. If you don't have a grill, try making these on a grill pan!

Shrimp & Apple Kebabs with Curried Lentils
recipe from Shape Magazine


Ingredients:
-2 medium red apples (Fuji or Gala, I used Fuji)
-2 tbsp white wine vinegar
-2 tbsp olive oil, divided
-2 tbsp honey (I used agave nectar, no honey on hand)
-1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
-1 pound peeled, uncooked shrimp, tails on or off (I used frozen, pre-cooked)
-1 cup dried green lentils (I used small brown lentils)
-1/2 cup chopped carrot
-1/2 cup chopped celery
-1 clove garlic, chopped
-1 1/2 cups water
-3 tbsp sliced almonds

For the dressing:
-2 tbsp white wine vinegar
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1 tsp Dijon mustard
-3 tbsp honey  (I used agave nectar, no honey on hand)
-1/4 tsp curry powder

Directions:
1. Soak 8 wooden skewers in warm water and set aside. Slice apples into 1/4 inch pieces.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil, honey, and basil. Add shrimp and apples to a large ziploc bag. Pour marinade into bag, close, and make sure shrimp and apples are coated. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
3. While shrimp is marinating, rinse lentils in a strainer. Heat remaining 2 tsp olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
4. Add lentils and water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (uncovered), until liquid is absorbed and lentils have softened but are still firm.
5. While lentils are cooking, thread shrimp and apples onto skewers. Grill on medium-high for 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes. Remove from grill when shrimp are pink and apples are soft.
6. Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add dressing and almonds to cooked lentils. Serve immediately with kebabs.