A flexible “roasted” dinner… Kabobs with Roasted Veggies

Shrimp and Sausage Kabobs with Roasted Vegetables

There are many foods, particularly vegetables, which are excellent roasted in the oven. So if you’re going to heat the oven up to roast a veggie or two, why not make a meal out of it?

This dinner idea can be pulled together relatively quickly (to the table in less than 30 minutes, if you prep ahead of time and/or pre-roast larger items). So it’s a great dinner to quickly pull together after work to feed the family. The kabobs are shrimp (which cook quickly) and smoked sausage (which is pre-cooked) so that you’re not waiting for the meat to cook.
And it’s flexible, in that you can easily change out the vegetables (or even the meats) depending on what you have on hand.

Menu:
Shrimp & Sausage Kebobs
Ginger-Cumin Roasted Butternut squash
Garlic Roasted Kale
Cornbread or other bread.

Good Alternate veggie choice: Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Roasted Cabbage

The key to pulling this meal together is timing. The kale takes maybe 15 minutes to roast, while the butternut squash can take 40 min, depending on the size (that’s why I like to roast a big butternut ahead of time, then I can just slice off enough for dinner, and heat it up with the toppings when I’m cooking everything else. )

Also, if you’re in a hurry, the shrimp and sausage doesn’t have to be skewered, just spread on a baking dish in a single layer.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Aluminum foil is your friend for easy cleanup, so line all your roasting pans with foil.

Step 1 (1 hr prior, or done previously)

Prep (and roast) Butternut Squash (alternate: Sweet Potatoes, prepared the same way)

1 large butternut squash (or similar winter squash)

Salt/Pepper/Olive Oil

Follow the directions here: How to Roast a Butternut Squash.

While your squash is roasting, move on to …

Step 2 (35-40 min prior, or prepped ahead of time)

Prep Shrimp & Sausage Kabobs: (Serves 2-3)

1/2 pound large shrimp
1/2 pound smoked sausage (I used turkey sausage)
Salt and Pepper
Marinade:
equal amounts (approx 1 tablespoon each) soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, olive oil.

Prep: (Can be done ahead of time.)
Salt and Pepper shrimp and sausage.
Mix together marinade, toss shrimp & sausage in marinade. Either set aside, or go ahead and skewer onto bamboo skewers (I made 3 large skewers). Wrap loosely in tin foil and set in fridge.

Step 3 (30 min prior)

Prep Roasted Kale (alternate: Roast Cabbage)

Step 4 (25 min prior)

Follow the instructions here for roasted kale..

Add the Kale and the Kebobs to the oven

Kale: It will take about 15-20 minutes to cook (longer for cabbage–allow 30 min), so you’ll want to put in the oven about 25 min prior to dinner time. You’ll want to use tongs to toss the kale every 3 minutes or so, as it starts turning brown around the edges and crispy. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the Kale is crispy and soft (but not burnt!). Taste it to judge.

Kebobs: Place the kebobs in a foil lined pan, and add them to the oven at the same time. Since the sausage is pre-cooked, you just need to heat it through. The shrimp (of course) need to cook, so remove from oven with the shrimp have lost their transparency and are cooked. For me, this took about 20 minutes, about the same time the Kale was done.

Step 5 (15 min prior)

Finish the Butternut Squash, and heat bread

Slice your squash into 1 cm thick slices. Spread as many slices as you need for dinner on a foil lined pan (Save the rest of the squash for next day recipes).

Mix 1 tablespoon brown sugar with 1/2 teaspoon each of ginger and cumin (to cover 6-8 slices–increase amounts for more slices). Sprinkle on the top of the slices. Place in the hot oven for the last 10 minutes of cooking of the other items, to heat the squash through, and melt the sugar on top (optional: you can finish under the broiler for a crispier sugar topping).