Shrimp & Sausage Skewers with Slaw & Black Bean Rice

I ran across a picture of sausage cuddled up with shrimp on skewers in a magazine last summer. I tore the picture out because it was so intriguing to me and neglected to remove the recipe. They were covered in a rich, dark, barbecue sauce and just looked so tasty. I make up recipes several times a week, so I wasn’t too worried about the missing recipe and coming up with a sauce. A large part of the fun of cooking is winging it and seeing what comes out of the adventure, right? I thought the skewers would go really well with a creamy, spicy, cold slaw and a black bean rice dish. A great balance of different flavors and heat.

I keep hoping that if I wish really hard that spring will come and if we start grilling warm weather food, that it will appear on my timeline instead of its own lazy, cloudy, and rainy timeline. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much though, the rain comes with its own blessings. Lush green grass and beautiful flowers in late spring, a more moist ground for summer, and hopefully a reduction in fires that we sometimes get in this neck of the woods. So, until my wish of lazy days in the sun spent sipping iced tea and reading a great book come to fruition, I guess we’ll just have to fake it.

Shrimp & Sausage Skewers

1 Pkg. Al Fresco Chipotle Chicken Chorizo Sausage With Mango and Adobo

1 Pkg. Raw White Shrimp (51-60 count)

Peel the shrimp, leaving tails on, rinse, and pat dry. Slice the sausage.

Marinade:

1 Bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

1/2 Lime, juiced

1 1/2 tsp. Garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp. Sriracha Hot Sauce

1 Tbsp. Dark Brown Sugar, packed

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.

Skewer the shrimp and sausage so that the shrimp is “hugging” the sausage.

Place in a shallow baking dish and cover with marinade, basting both sides. Let rest for 1 hour.

Creamy Slaw

1 12 oz. Bag Rainbow Slaw (shredded broccoli, cauliflower, & carrots)

3/4 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Red Jalapeno, finely diced seeds in

1  1/2 Tbs. Cilantro, chopped

1 tsp. Ginger, finely grated

1/2 Lime, juiced

About 1/8 – 1/4 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar (I used the Basil & Oregano)

Place all ingredients in bowl and whisk until combined. Pour over slaw and toss until thoroughly coated. Refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Black Bean Rice

1 Cup Rice Select Royal Blend Rice (Texmati White, Brown, Wild & Red)

1 1/2 Cups Gluten-Free Chicken Broth

1 1/2 tsp. Dairy-Free Butter

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

1 Can 15 oz. Black Beans

Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. Garlic, chopped

1/2 Sweet Yellow Onion, chopped

4 Cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp. Oregano, chopped

2 tsp. Dairy-Free Butter

Small squeeze of lime juice.

Combine the rice, chicken broth, 1 1/2 tsp. butter, and sea salt in a medium pan. Follow cooking directions on container of rice blend. Fluff with fork when done. Set aside.

Drain and rinse black beans.

Drizzle about 3 Tbsp. of olive oil into a large skillet. Heat on medium-high. Saute onions, and mushrooms until the onions start to caramelize, add garlic, oregano, and 2 tsps.butter and saute for about 5 more minutes.

Add black beans, toss, add rice, squeeze about 1/2 lime over the top, toss. Cover and set aside.

* Preheat Grill to Medium-High

Grill shrimp skewers until shrimp are done and sausage is heated through. (Sausage comes pre-cooked.) Be careful not to over cook the shrimp.

Serve with Creamy Slaw and Black Bean Rice.