Brazilian Coconut Shrimp Kebabs

Every year for Valentine's Day my husband cooks us a delicious dinner. He was a little ambitious this year because he decided to make shrimp kebabs, halibut, salmon, and asparagus. He didn't have enough time to make it all after work so I made the shrimp kebabs. If he would've read the recipe earlier he would've realized it was supposed to marinate for 1 to 2 hours and I could've made it during the day while he was at work. Instead it only marinated for about a half hour. But it was delicious! I can only imagine what it would've tasted like if it would've marinated the full amount of time.

Printable Recipe

Brazilian Coconut Shrimp Kebabs
adapted from Primal Grill

32 jumbo or extra large shrimp (about 1 1/2-2 lbs), peeled and deveined
1 1/2 onions
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch triangles
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch triangles
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
6 cloves garlic, halved
1 piece (1-inch) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and membranes removed, cut into chunks
1 can (14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
lime wedges, for serving
skewers

Soak skewers in water to prevent burning. Rinse shrimp under cold water then blot dry with paper towels. Take the whole onion and cut it into 8 pieces. Then break each piece into individual layers. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers, alternating with onion and bell pepper pieces. Place in a baking dish.

Marinade:
Cut the remaining onion into quarters. In a food processor, finely chop onion, remaining bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Add cilantro and pulse a few times just to mix. Don't overmix or it will turn green. Pour over kebabs and let marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator, covered. Do not over-marinate or the shrimp will toughen. Turn the kebabs several times for even marinating.

Place the shrimp kebabs on a hot grill for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until shrimp is cooked through. Serve with lime wedges.