Simple things make me happy. Any time I can prepare dinner that can be eaten on the run with little clean up, my life is easier and I am happy. Grilled Shrimp Souvlaki with Cucumber Dill Sauce is perfect for this. Ideally I would like to have a sit down dinner every day with my family. The times we sit together, gathering to enjoy a meal and share our day is priceless. But, the reality of my life right now is that my kids have varied schedules, they often need to be picked up or dropped off somewhere. Some are done at 5 others have practice until 10.  I know so many people in the same situation. When the kids were little all 6 of us never missed gathering around the table every night.  We walked to the train to meet their Dad and bring him home for dinner.  It was a huge part of our day.  Now not so much!  One upside is that it’s all the more a celebration when we do. With this recipe we have the option of eating together, grabbing it on the run or packing it up to deliver between events. Souvlaki is a greek dish that is typically meat of some sort served wrapped in a flat bread making it totally portable. Today I used shrimp to keep it light. The cucumber sauce is a great fresh addition to the roasted vegetables and grilled shrimp.

Grilled Shrimp Souvlaki with Cucumber Dill Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided, plus additional for brushing grill
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 3/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 2 cucumbers (about 1 pound)
• Salt and Black pepper, to taste
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 small red onion, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rings
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh chopped parsley to garnish.
• 4 whole-grain flatbreads
• 8 small romaine or bib lettuce leaves (optional)

METHOD

• Rinse shrimp, and pat dry.
• Stir together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon oil, and 1 tablespoon each dill and oregano in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp, and toss to combine. Marinate, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
• Stir together 1/4 cup yogurt, half of garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon dill in a serving bowl. With a vegetable peeler, cut cucumbers into lengthwise ribbons, discarding the largely seeded core.
• Toss cucumber ribbons with yogurt mixture and pepper, to taste.
• Combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt with remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon dill, and remaining garlic in a small serving bowl for cucumber dill sauce. Season with pepper, to taste.
• Toss tomatoes and onion with remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil onto a baking sheet. Salt and pepper, optional.
• Roast tomatoes and onions in a 400° oven until tomatoes slightly burst and onions are tender and start to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes.
• Grill shrimp in a lightly oiled well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or grill pan, turning once, 5 minutes or until shrimp are bright pink and cooked through. Transfer to a plate; cover and keep warm.
• Grill flatbread until golden brown and slightly crisp. Transfer to 4 serving plates; top evenly with cucumber sauce, shrimp, onions, tomatoes, and bib or romaine, if desired. Serve with extra cucumber sauce.

To my kids: (This blog is, after all, their recipe book of our family favorites) Thanks for helping out and doing dishes! xoxo Remember you loved the onions in this dish. They’re sweet because they were roasted which brings out the natural sugars. Don’t leave them out. 

Enjoy!  If you would like to follow Table and Dish so you never miss a recipe, simply add your email to the subscribe box on the right side of the screen.  Sorry phone users, this option isn’t yet on your mobile device,  I’m working on it.  Visit us on your computer, subscribe, then you can follow all the recipes on your phone right in your inbox.  

If you’re on Pinterest, pin my pictures to your recipe board so you can easily access them from anywhere!

Have a great day!