Morris Mealtime (Kabob & Falafel Picnic)

These Mexicana Shrimp and Vegetable Kabobs, usually served hot, were a perfect cold complement to a Falafel Salad on our Sunday picnic.  The destination was the nearby city of Fairmont Morris Park.  The recipe for the kabob is from McCormick: 

Mexicana Shrimp & Vegetable Kabobs

(Serves 2)

Peel shrimp, leaving tail intact.  Clean and cut vegetables.
12 jumbo, tail on, raw shrimp
6-8 baby portobello mushrooms, halved or quartered, depending on size
1 zucchini squash, sliced in 3/4 inch pieces
6-8 mini red and orange sweet peppers, seeded and cut in half

Mix marinade ingredients.
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves

Place shrimp and vegetables in a large zipper storage bag.  Pour over marinade.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Assemble kabobs, alternating colors on skewers.  Bake at 325 F. for 15 minutes.

I drained the marinade after cooking and added it to the falafel salad.

 Falafel Salad

(Serves 5)

Saute garlic and scallion in oil.
1 garlic clove, minced
1 scallion, diced
1 teaspoon olive oil

Add water, bulgur, garbanzo beans and edamame. Boil for 7 minutes.
2/3 cup bulgur wheat
2 cups water
1/3 cup garbanzo beans (I use the frozen cooked without salt version)
1/3 cup edamame, shelled

Stir in juice, marinade and oil.  Refrigerate overnight.
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
Drained marinade from cooked kabobs

Add tomato and parsley.
1 romano tomato, diced
1/3 cup fresh snipped parsley 

This recipe was inspired by Food and Wine magazine.

We enjoyed a nice cold wedge of watermelon with our meal in very quiet surroundings.  I love this park, operated by the City of Fairmont in West Virginia.  This was once a horse farm, where the horses that pulled the Fairmont Fire Engines were turned out to pasture.

Have a great week!