Everyone thinks skewers are simple BBQ fare - and they are correct, to a point. While skewers often feature cheaper cuts of protein, they actually take a good amount of time and effort to make correctly. In the following recipe, I used shrimp, but the marinade could be used for anything - chicken, fish, meat, pork etc. The key is in your organization - at the hotel, we can prepare 1,000 skewers at a time, and in order to finish in a short period of time - and be efficient - we have to be organized.

Herb Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Step One-Marinade

1 ea. Chopped Garlic Clove

¼ Cup Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

¼ Cup Trader Joes Balsamic Vinaigrette

¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ Cup Yuzu Sauce-Asian Citrus Sauce, found in Asian section of specialty stores

2 Tbsp. Trader Joes Italian Dressing

4 Leaves Fresh Basil, chopped

1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves

½ Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Add all ingredients together and blend well using a hand, immersion blender until the herbs puree, and turn the marinade green. Hold in refrigerator.

Step Two-Vegetables

2 Stalks Celery, Cut into 2" pieces

½ ea Large Onion, cut in large cubes

3 ea. Carrots, peeled,, cut in large pieces, blanch in salted water until soft, shock in ice water, drain dry on paper towel

¼ Cup Vegetable Oil

Salt & Pepper

You will need to blanch the carrots, so they are soft and will grill at the pace of the shrimp during cooking. Then heat up a sauté pan to medium-high, add the oil, and sauté the celery and onions briefly for 3 minutes. Season with S&P, then drain on a paper towel. Keep all of your vegetables in separate, small bowls and mix each one with some of the marinade. Arrange the vegetables on a plate side by side to enable you to easily put together your skewers later.

Step Three-Shrimp

1 pound Fresh Shrimp, (I prefer the 16-20 ct.), peeled, de-veined, tail off

Clean the shrimp, then dry them very well with paper towel. Mix well with marinade, then place next to the vegetables, on the same plate. Now your ingredients are all ready to go, right at your finger tips. Use either metal skewers, or firm, thick bamboo skewers, and alternate the vegetable selection with shrimp, until all items are skewered up.

Step Four-Grill

Heat up grill medium-high, brush down grates to clean well, then spray with some non-stick spray, and grill the skewers 4 minutes per side. Remember, your vegetables are already partially cooked, making this method very effective, you simply need to make sure the shrimp are cooked enough. You want to cook the shrimp until it is still a bit raw in the center, then pull them off, as they will finish cooking over the following few minutes. Serve with rice or salad, and a nice bottle of white wine.