Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Skewers with Smoky Paprika Glaze and more...

I have not posted in a long while. Life has been busy. My son came home from University, my husband returned from Brussels on Saturday, I have not been all that well and time just flew by. Where did the month of May go? This past weekend we celebrated being together as a family and it was lovely. We just celebrated Memorial day weekend and this past weekend we had beautiful summer like weather. No rain , no cold....we sat on the deck, ate good food and had fun together. I saw this recipe in the June issue of Bon Appetit and knew I had to try it. We adore Spanish smoked paprika and Andouille sausage so what could be more perfect? I used D'Artagnan Andouille sausage this time and it was good. I usually use Aidells Andouille and I think I prefer that.
I served these with a Roasted Fingerling potato salad, also from the June issue of BA and some grilled zucchini strips...delicious! 
The end of May also signals the end of my Peonies...the goddesses of the garden as far as I am concerned, right along with the majestic Iris. I wait so long for them and they are not with me for very long at all. I cut them and brought some into the house when a rain storm was coming...one heavy rain and they are no longer the beauties of my garden.... right now my house smells of Peony....a heavenly scent! 

Grilled Shrimp and Sausage Skewers with Smoky Paprika Glaze
These delicious kebabs are a Spanish take on surf and turf. Because the skewers aren't on the grill long enough to cook fresh sausages, fully cooked sausages are used here.
6 servings


June 2010 Bon Appetit
Ingredients

* 3/4 cup olive oil
* 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
* 5 teaspoons smoked paprika
* 4 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
* 12 uncooked extra-large shrimp (13 to 15 per pound), peeled, deveined
* 12 1-inch-long pieces andouille or other fully cooked smoked sausages (such as linguiça; about 16 ounces)
* 12 cherry tomatoes
* 12 2-layer sections of red onion wedges
* Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Special Equipment

* 6 long metal skewers

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TEST-KITCHEN TIP
If you're using bamboo skewers instead of the metal kind, be sure to soak them for at least an hour before grilling. Unsoaked skewers will burn on the grill.

Preparation

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Whisk oil, garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, Sherry wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl to blend for glaze. Transfer half of glaze to small bowl and reserve for serving.
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Alternately thread shrimp, sausage pieces, cherry tomatoes, and sections of onion wedges on each of 6 long metal skewers. Arrange skewers on large rimmed baking sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill skewers and bowls of glaze separately.
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Coat grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush skewers on both sides with glaze from 1 bowl. Grill until shrimp are opaque in center, turning and brushing occasionally with more glaze, 6 to 8 minutes.
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Arrange skewers on platter. Serve with remaining bowl of glaze.

My notes: I had plenty of glaze left over and we really did not need it with these. I used it to brush over Portobello mushrooms and strips of zucchini that I grilled last night. They were wonderful! I also made some skewers with some boneless chicken thighs and the sausage and they were also fabulous.

Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad

Roasted potatoes are topped with an herb salad and chopped hard-boiled eggs in this take on the summer staple.

6 servings

June 2010 Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
• 1 1/2 pounds 1-inch-diameter fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Banyuls vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon coarse-grained Dijon mustard
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, chopped

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  Ingredient Tip

  To make perfect hard-boiled eggs, start with eggs that are more than a week old (fresh eggs are harder to peel). Place them in a single layer in the bottom of a saucepan; add cold water to cover by an inch. Bring the water to boil; remove the pan from the heat. Let stand covered for 11 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl; cover with ice water. Drain the eggs, tap them gently on the countertop to crack the shells, then peel under running water.

Preparation

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  Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Brush heavy large rimmed baking sheet with oil. Place potatoes and 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss. Arrange potatoes, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet. Roast until potatoes are brown on cut side, about 23 minutes. Using tongs, turn potatoes over. Roast until crisp, deep golden, and tender, about 12 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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  Stir green onions, parsley, tarragon, vinegar, mustard, and 2 teaspoons oil in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
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  Transfer potatoes to dish. Spoon chopped eggs and herb salad over.