Zucchini Ribbon Skewers
hese Zucchini Ribbon Skewers are so elegant and pretty to look at, even non zucchini lovers are going to be all over them!
Seriously… how cute and sophisticated are those little zucchini skewers? Don’t you wanna just reach through your screen and grab one or two?
These little guys, they’re just the perfect accompaniment to any grilled meat, or fish, or chicken. I think they would even be the perfect sideshow for your next corn party! In fact, they’re so darn cute and tasty, they might very well end up stealing the show!
I’ll give it to you, they are a tad tricky and delicate to put together — I mean, it would be so much easier to just slice your zukes super thick and throw them on the grill — but I think their good looks alone make them worth the extra effort. That and the fact that, when sliced this thinly, zucchini becomes so super tender and almost creamy…
I think these guys are a guaranteed winner this grilling season! So why not go ahead and make a batch… or four? Cuz yeah… they’re gonna disappear fast, so you might want to at least double, if not triple that recipe…
Before you do anything, preheat your outdoor grill to high.
Then, slice the zucchinis lengthwise into very thin slices — about 1/8-inch. In order to get this done, the use of a mandoline is very strongly recommended. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that it’s almost mandatory, unless you have out-of-this-world knife skills!
As you can see, I chose to leave the stalks on my zucchinis… they are perfectly edible, look super pretty, and will go completely unnoticed texture-wise when sliced this thin!
Now place the zucchini slices on a large baking sheet and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, then sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. Let the slices sit for about 5 minutes; this will make them more pliable.
Don’t skip this step! If you were to try and skewer those zucchini slices without doing this first, they would only crack and break on you. They need to become super soft and pliable in order to bend into lovely, curvy ribbons.
Once the zucchini slices are nice and pliable, delicately thread them onto wooden skewers — 3 slices per skewer — alternating between colors if using yellow and green zucchinis.
The contrast in colors makes the skewers that much prettier, me finds! But all green or all yellow would also work perfectly fine. Just be sure to select zucchinis of similar shapes and sizes, so your skewers look more even. Also, straighter zukes will be much easier to work with then curvy ones…
Technically, you could very well serve your Zucchini Skewers right away… grilling them is not absolutely mandatory, as zucchinis can just as well be eaten raw. But grilling them will definitely take them to the next level! Ultimately, though, the decision is yours…
So what’s it gonna be: raw or grilled?
If you’re gonna go all out and grill your skewers, place them on the hot grill and grill for 1 or 2 minutes, just long enough to soften the zukes and get nice grill marks on them, then very delicately flip the skewers with a pair of tongs and continue grilling for about a minute or so.
All that’s left to do now is remove your finished skewers to a plate and garnish them with a little bit of chopped parsley and a few shavings of Parmesan cheese — if you are so inclined, of course — and then serve with your favorite grilled meat or fish… or whatever else you happen to be eating that day!
Zucchini Ribbon Skewers
These Zucchini Ribbon Skewers are so elegant and pretty to look at, even non zucchini lovers are going to be all over them!
Servings: 8 skewers
2 medium-large zucchinis, preferrably one yellow, one green
3-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Generous sprinkle of salt and pepper
Optional garnish
Chopped parsley
Parmesan cheese shavings
Preheat your outdoor grill to high.
Slice the zucchinis lengthwise into very thin slices (about 1/8″); the use of a mandoline is very strongly recommended.
Place the slices on a large baking sheet and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, then sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. Let the slices sit for about 5 minutes; this will make them more pliable.
Delicately thread the slices onto wooden skewers – 3 slices per skewer – alternating between colors if using yellow and green zucchinis.
Place the skewers on the hot grill and grill for 1-2 minutes, just enough to soften the zukes and get nice grill marks on them, then very delicately flip the skewers with a pair of tongs and continue grilling for another minute or so.
Remove to a plate and garnish with chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese, if desired, before serving.
Serving: 1skewer, Calories: 54kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Fat: 5g, Sodium: 4mg, Potassium: 127mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 100IU, Vitamin C: 8.7mg, Calcium: 8mg, Iron: 0.2mg
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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