Tag: appetizer

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Dipping into Spring

By Laura Johnson Andrews

The calendar says it’s spring in South Dakota, and I’m seeing signs that it might even be true. Baby goats are cavorting on my brother’s farm, there’s been a distinct increase in birdsong and I recently ate the first nibble of something fresh and green from my garden — a snippet of chives.

I love growing herbs, but other than sprinkling chopped chives into scrambled eggs and the unholy amount of pesto I consume once the basil gets going, I’m more apt to eat leaves straight off the plant than use them in dishes. Then I remembered my conversation with Rapid City cheesemaker Spencer Crawford for the March/April 2021 story”Our Goat Renaissance.” Crawford makes aged, washed-rind goat cheeses with milk from his small herd of Alpine dairy goats. He reminded me of a quick method for making a very basic cheese at home — one that pairs well with the bright flavors of herbs.

Take a jug of whole or 2 percent milk that’s nearing its expiration date, pour it into a heavy pan and heat to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, throw in something acidic (lemon juice, buttermilk or a glug of white vinegar) and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The milk should separate into small, fluffy curds and yellowish whey. If you’re Miss Muffet, you can enjoy that as is, but I empty the pot into a colander lined with coffee filters to let the whey drain out. Sometimes I weigh it down to expel more whey and create a firmer cheese that works well in curry. Unweighed, the cheese is similar to ricotta. It makes a great addition to pizza or pasta or you can whirl it into a smooth, herb-rich dip.

A simple homemade cheese and a snip of the garden’s first greens make a wonderfully fresh dip.

Green Goddess Dip

Adapted from Abra’s Kitchen

1–1 1/2 cups fresh cheese
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh herbs (chives, parsley, dill, tarragon and/or basil) or more, to taste

Roughly chop herbs. Use a hand blender or food processor to mix ingredients together until the dip is smooth and creamy, adding more olive oil if needed. Serve with crackers, fresh vegetables or whatever sounds good.

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Swimming Upstream

By Fran Hill

This year.

*sigh*

Am I right?

Even before politics got super crazy and the world got weirder, I was struggling with 2016. It has been the year that I can’t keep up. Sure, I did have a major surgery half way through, and recovery wasn’t exactly the piece of cake that I assumed it would be. But I can’t blame everything on health issues. Seriously. I just can’t keep up.

I haven’t given up. I plan. I try. I trudge ahead. I struggle. I fail. Nothing goes according to schedule. I have cut back and lessened my expectations. Still, I fall behind.

I feel like I am swimming upstream all the time. Every little success is punctuated with an,”Oh, crap. I forgot about that other thing.”

But hey. Salmon swim upstream, and they make it. In fact, they make it especially delicious when they are smoked, thinly sliced and paired with herbed cream cheese. I may not be keeping pace with everything, but my appetizer game is still strong. The recipe for Smoked Salmon Stacks is part of my arsenal of simple nibbles that come together easily and dare my guests to be impressed. If I have to swim upstream, I am in good company.

Smoked Salmon Stacks are a simple appetizer and perfect for a New Year’s Eve party.

Smoked Salmon Stacks

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1-2 tablespoons of sour cream

1 garlic clove, minced

Zest of one lemon

3-4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Pinch of salt

6 large flour tortillas

1 tablespoon spreadable butter

12 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon

Combine cream cheese, 1 tablespoon sour cream, minced garlic, lemon zest, dill and salt. If the mixture is too stiff to easily spread, add the other tablespoon of sour cream. (This will depend on the brand and temperature of the cream cheese.)

Spread one flour tortilla with one-fourth of the cream cheese mixture. (If you are cutting into squares for presentation, you don’t need to spread cream cheese to the edges. But I do, and the trimmings become a snack for the cook.) Arrange a single layer of smoked salmon over the cream cheese. Spread a second flour tortilla with a very thin layer of butter. (This is the glue to hold the stack together, but you don’t need much. These aren’t Butter Salmon Stacks.) Place that tortilla butter side down over the salmon. Spread another layer of one-fourth of the cream cheese mixture. Again, a thin layer of salmon over that. Finish with another lightly buttered tortilla placed over the salmon.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients for a second salmon/tortilla stack.

Wrap each stack in plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours (and up to 72 hours). The filling should set and become firm enough to easily cut into squares. (I used a ruler and cut 1-inch strips that were then sliced into 1-inch squares.) Serve speared with toothpicks and lemon wedges on the side, if desired.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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Go Sports!

By Fran Hill

Go sports!
Do the thing!
Score the points!
Go team!

That is about the extent of my athletic literacy. I am sports dumb.

But I have been told that there is some big event in the near future where food can be just as important as the game. I like to eat. This could be the kind of sport for me.

Nachos and wings and chili and pizza. Sub sandwiches and seven-layer dip and deviled eggs. Vegetable trays and onion dip and cocktail sausages. Some sports thing on the big screen. I thoroughly enjoy the variety of snacks and nibbles of a good game spread. Therefore, I tolerate sports for the food. Go team!

Recently, I noticed a cheesy dip that looked quite sporting and included a healthy dose of vegetables. I was game for Cheesy Butternut Squash Dip. Chipotle peppers add a spicy heat to creamy squash blended with melty cheese. Dunking a tortilla chip into a vat of this warm dip is delicious and healthy in a way that plain cheese dip can never be. It is a touchdown. Score!


Cheesy Butternut Squash Dip

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

Chipotle pepper adds a spicy kick to creamy, cheesy butternut squash dip. Photo by Fran Hill.


1 teaspoon olive oil

3/4 cup red onion, diced

1 1/2 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 cups roasted butternut squash puree (about half of a small to medium butternut squash, roasted and mashed)

1/2-1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon chipotle chile in adobo sauce (more or less according to your heat tolerance)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (freshly grated melts better than the prepackaged shredded)

3/4 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Fresh cilantro, chopped

JalapeÒo, sliced

Tortilla chips

Heat oil in a medium cast-iron skillet. Add red onion and cook until softened. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly about 2 minutes. Add squash, chipotle and about 1/4 cup of broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add cheeses, stirring constantly until smooth and cheeses are melted. Add additional broth if needed to improve smooth texture.

Preheat broiler to high. Slide pan of dip under broiler for 2 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

Top with cilantro and jalapeÒo slices. Serve with tortilla chips. (Serves 10 1/4 cup portions)

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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Dear Brian

By Fran Hill

Dear Brian,

Your kind words regarding the “Sweet Holiday Traditions” article in the November/December issue of South Dakota Magazine were very appreciated. I was so flattered that you enjoyed the Butter Pecan Fudge recipe in the portion of the article featuring my traditions for our annual holiday party and that you expressed an interest in the Shrimp Scampi with Chicken Sausage and Spinach appetizer that was also mentioned. But I am a doofus. A dork. A distracted loser.

I could make lots of excuses about being busy since receiving your email inquiry, and with Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year’s and travel and guests and parties and work(?!?) and appointments and baking and cooking and end of the year stuff and lounging on the sofa and napping and being a bum and trying not to freeze to death, I HAVE been busy. But really not so busy that I have any kind of solid excuse for the tardiness of my reply to you. I am a doofus. And I am sorry.

Please accept my sincere apologies, and also please enjoy this delicious recipe. Our friends and family love shrimp scampi, and many years ago when pulling together an appetizer menu for our holiday party, it seemed like a natural addition. Served alongside crusty bread to dip and swirl in the buttery garlic sauce, the shrimp are a hearty balance to the lighter offerings on the appetizer buffet.

Over the years, the recipe has evolved to include some chicken sausages (Those with mozzarella and roasted garlic are a favorite.) and even a handful of wilted spinach. When we aren’t serving bite-sized portions as an appetizer for a party, the shrimp is excellent tossed with pasta for a complete meal. Shrimp Scampi with Chicken Sausage and Spinach is no doofus. That’s just me.

Shrimp Scampi with Chicken Sausage and Spinach

2-3 chicken sausages, sliced (choose one with garlic, sundried tomatoes, or cheeses to enhance the flavor of the final dish)
1/4 cup onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined, tail on
Hefty pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of white wine (choose a dry wine, not a sweet one)
2-3 cups fresh spinach, chopped

Heat olive oil in a large sautÈ pan. Add the sliced sausages and sautÈ until slightly browned and heated through. Remove from pan and set aside to keep warm. Add butter to the pan and melt, scraping the pan to pull up crisped bits (flavor) from the sausages. Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender and translucent. Add garlic and cook just a minute to infuse the butter, but don’t allow the garlic to brown. (Browned garlic can be bitter.) Add the shrimp and the wine and toss to coat with the butter and again scrape the bottom of the pan to pull up any browned bits. Season with red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. As the shrimp begins to turn pink, return the sausage to the pan. Add in the fresh spinach, stirring to coat. Cover the pan with a lid to finish cooking the shrimp and wilt the spinach, about 2-4 minutes. Do not overcook. Rubbery shrimp is a doofus. Serves 4-6.


Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

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Delicious Pyromania

By Fran Hill

I love a good fire and believe that no summer patio gathering is complete without flames in the fire pit, regardless of the temperatures. The smoky smell of burning wood takes me back to the fun times of camping and just says party to me. My guests and I circle around and stare into the crackling fire as we unwind and chat. Always, I will hop up with my can of lighter fluid when I don’t think that the flames are high enough and give the coals a squirt. There are giggles from my friends as Hubs, a member of the local volunteer fire department, scolds me. The fire pit truly brings out the pyromaniac in me.

The open fire also inspires me to get creative with party appetizers. Everyone loves a sweet s’more for dessert. What about a savory one to get the party started? Mozzarella s’mores are a flavorful, gooey, melted bite of love from the fire pit. The sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil cut from my herb garden, and the garlic rubbed toasts are held together by the flame roasted cheese. Who doesn’t like melted cheese? Who doesn’t like playing with fire? Mozzarella s’mores are a pyromaniac’s dream on my plate.


Mozzarella S’mores

Adapted from epicurious.com

12 sun-dried tomatoes
8 ounces FRESH mozzarella cheese, cut into 12 pieces
12 FRESH basil leaves
12 slices baguette, toasted (or grilled) and rubbed with garlic

Set up the fire pit with a roaring fire. Allow it to burn down to some flames and mostly hot coals.

Arrange the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil leaves and grilled bread on a platter for self-serving this make-it-yourself appetizer.

Skewer a hunk of mozzarella. Roast it over the fire, turning the skewer to evenly melt the cheese. When the mozzarella begins to melt and brown after 1 to 2 minutes, sandwich the melted cheese between a slice of toasted bread and a slice of sun-dried tomato layered with a basil leaf to pull it off the skewer…much in the same way graham crackers and chocolate are used to pull the marshmallow off the skewer with traditional s’mores. DO NOT attempt to eat the melted cheese directly off the hot skewer, unless you like major burns to your mouth and lips.

NOTE: Sun-dried tomatoes come in two forms: oil-packed and dried. Oil-packed tomatoes just need to be drained before you use them. The dried kind must be soaked in water and marinated in olive oil. To reconstitute the tomatoes, place them in a bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let soak for 1 hour. Drain the tomatoes well and blot dry. Toss with the olive oil.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.


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Gramma’s Delicacies

By Laura Johnson Andrews

Making delicious, healthy meals can be daunting to new cooks and busy cooks alike. Enter B. Angelique Mills of Box Elder. The England native makes it easy to be a whiz in the kitchen with “Gramma’s Delicacies” — her array of low-sodium, MSG and gluten-free seasonings, sauces, jellies, syrups and spice mixes.

An intolerance to monosodium glutamate inspired Mills’ creations.”A lot of people don’t realize that MSG really messes with their system,” she says. With the prevalence of high blood pressure in our society, low-sodium products were a natural thought.”If they want to add more [salt], that’s fine,” she says. Almost all her products are gluten free except for her meatloaf and burger seasonings, which contain an oatmeal base.

Mills brings her best advertisement to shows with her. Her husband, Reuben”Joe” Mills, has a physique that attests to the quality of her cooking. They met when the Louisiana-born Air Force serviceman was stationed in Angelique’s native land, England. The military landed them in Box Elder in 1982.”When we first realized we were coming to South Dakota, we kicked and screamed, you know … and then we got here and gave it a chance, and we got to know the people, and they’re wonderful. We loved it, the kids loved it, we built our home here and the rest is history.”

Much of the raw material for Angelique’s products comes from the Mills’ busy Box Elder farm. Their goats provide milk for soaps and lotions. Sheep wool becomes hats, gloves and mittens. The animals’ manure fertilizes the Mills’ large garden, promoting the growth of the plums, apples, chokecherries and herbs that end up in Gramma’s Delicacies.

Mills also shares her cooking expertise by teaching classes with Community Education of the Black Hills.”The average young mother is busy, busy busy — they have children, they have work. In a rush, they may opt for unhealthy but convenient fast food. Mills teaches them how to get healthy food on the table within an hour or less.”You can put a stir fry together in two seconds. And it’s not as expensive as people think it is.”

To get a taste of Gramma’s Delicacies, visit their website or Facebook page … or better yet, follow your nose to Angelique and Joe’s stand at the Rapid City farmers’ market this summer. They’ll be handing out samples and serving lunches on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays starting the second week of June. The menu will vary, but will include a Creole gumbo with rice, Jamaican jerk chicken or pork, and pineapple chicken.

Mix It Up

Mills’ dip mixes come as simple packet of spices with serving directions. We sampled three of the flavorful blends: garlic dip, spicy chili cheese bacon dip and herbed dill dip, and served them with mixed veggies and crackers. Here are some other serving ideas for these South Dakota-made spices.

  • Mix one cup of plain yogurt and one cup of sour cream with one package of dip mix.
  • Combine 4 oz. cream cheese and 4 oz. sour cream.
  • For a vegan-friendly, dairy-free treat, beat the spices with a package of soft silken tofu.
  • Add a tablespoon of spices to olive oil for a flavorful accompaniment to fresh bread. A smaller amount of spices & oil makes a simple, zesty pizza sauce.

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Fiber Animals, Food and Fun

By Laura Johnson

Being immersed in a community of like-minded souls is a rare and special treat. South Dakota knitters, crocheters, spinners and weavers are guaranteed that experience at least once a year — on the third weekend of September at the North Country Fiber Fair in Watertown.

It can be lonely being a crafter in a prefab world. Most people just don’t understand the appeal. Why would you knit a scarf, shawl or sweater when you can buy one for less? (And in my case, with fewer flaws!) Why would you spin your own yarn when you can buy perfectly good acrylic at WalMart?

Simple. You do it for the joy of doing it — the surprise of watching colors and patterns flow from your knitting needles or crochet hook, for the pleasure of handling soft merino or manipulating delicate laceweight yarn. You can think about how warm those mittens will keep someone this winter or imagine a new baby wrapped in that special blanket you’re making. And best of all, the thing you’ve made is (for better or worse) completely unique. You could give a roomful of knitters the same yarn and the same pattern, and the finished projects would all be different. The difference may be subtle, but it’s there.

The organizers of the North Country Fiber Fair know all about these small joys. They put on another fine show this year designed to please local crafters, with lots of great vendors, fun workshops, sheep shearing and sheep dog demonstrations. But the best part was simply hanging out in the spinning circle and chatting with others. It was soothing to watch the spinners draft wool. The spinning wheels whirled, adding the twist that turns a mass of fiber into yarn, and lending a pleasant backdrop to conversation.

When fairgoers got peckish, they wandered over to the potluck area for refreshments. Most of the offerings were regular fare, but two items on the table paid delicious tribute to fiber-giving animals: lamb stew and homemade herbed goat cheese. It’s easy to make a soft, spreadable cheese out of any kind of milk, but it’s best to start with a full-fat version. Here’s one method.

Herbed Goat Cheese

From Serious Eats

1 quart goat’s milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 clove grated or minced garlic
A few pinches of coarse salt
Chopped herbs — try rosemary, chives, parsley, fennel fronds, dill or whatever sounds good to you.
Cheesecloth or coffee filters

Fill a medium saucepan with goat’s milk. Heat gradually until it reaches 180∞F, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let stand until the milk starts to curdle, about 20 seconds. It’s pretty subtle — look for tiny clumps. You can add a few extra drops of lemon juice if necessary.

Thoroughly line a colander with layers of cheesecloth or coffee filters. Place colander over a large bowl to catch the dripping whey. Ladle milk into colander. Pull up and tie the four corners of the cheesecloth together, hanging the bundle from a wooden spoon handle over a very deep bowl. Allow the whey to drain until the cheese is soft and ricotta-like, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and fold in salt, garlic and herbs. Serve on bread, crackers or plain. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Holding on to Summer

By Fran Hill

The heat of summer seemed unrelenting this year. Thermometers soared. Gardens wilted. People melted. Scorching might be the only polite description for those torrid days. And so it is with trepidation that I make my next statement.

Give me a sunny 100-degree day over a breezy one in the 70s.

It is amusing that the sweat I work up on the treadmill disgusts me, but I will willingly swelter with a book in a lawn chair under the blazing sun for hours. I believe the hotter the better for yard work and gardening. I love summer and all the heat that goes with it.

With the official end of summer nearing, I find myself desperate to hold on to that blissful heat. I want the warmth. I need the fever of the sun.

Salsa is one way I keep a grasp on the sunny season. I love the melding of sun-ripened tomatoes and spicy jalapenos on my tongue. I like the smokiness that almost comes across as heat in the back of my throat when I add a little cumin to the mix. It is so satisfying to chop and stir and simmer and process vegetables into beautiful jars of salsa to carry some of the wonderful summer heat into fall and winter.

Basic Salsa for Canning

8-10 jalapeno peppers, chopped finely (I don’t remove seeds or pull out the spines. We like that kick.)
12 cups chopped tomatoes (I don’t peel, but you could, if you prefer.)
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped green peppers
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 5-ounce can tomato paste
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt


Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Ladle into sterilized pint jars; seal. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. (If you are unsure of the canning process, there are many informative sites online. I am not a canning authority.) Makes 5-6 pints.


Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and two dogs reside near Colome.



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It’s Not Made From Real Tigers

By Laura Johnson

It’s always a surprise when something common to you turns out to be quite strange and exotic to someone else. A friend and I recently went up to Meridian Corner, a watering hole located south of Freeman at the intersection of Highways 81 and 18, to sample their chislic and fleisch kuechle. He noticed a sign on the wall for tiger meat. He asked,”Is it made from real…?””No, of course not,” I interrupted.

Apparently there are a lot of folks in this world who are entirely unfamiliar with tiger meat. Wikipedia hints that it’s more common in Midwestern states with large populations of German immigrants, but my Minnesota-born chum descended from Wisconsin Germans had never heard of the stuff. It’s a raw beef concoction, ground and heavily spiced, served with saltine crackers and beer.

It may sound strange, but it’s a relative of the once popular steak tartare. Concerns about E. coli and other foodborne pathogens led to a decline in popularity for both dishes, but if you have a good immune system and a trustworthy butcher, the risks are not as great. But the butcher my family buys the savory snack from requested that I not mention his tiger meat supply, implying strongly that you have to know what it is and how to handle it in order to consume it safely.

People braver than I am make their own — but they know their beef is from a good source and they grind the meat themselves using well-sterilized equipment. Since I believe in leaving preparation to the tiger meat-making professionals, the following recipe is presented for educational purposes only.

Tiger Meat

From Random Riff-Raff

1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 8 hours. Spread on crackers. Do not eat after 2 days.

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Sharing “Difficult” Recipes

By Fran Hill

The Andouille sausage for these sausage and shrimp skewers can be hard to find on the prairie, but local meat lockers may have a good substitute. Photo by Fran Hill.

I started my blog, On My Plate, not quite 6 years ago as a way to share recipes with friends and family. At that time, I had spent over a year accumulating, choosing and preparing recipes and creating photos for each one with the intention to put together a private cookbook to share as Christmas gifts. The cookbook was proving to be a lot more work than I had envisioned, and blogging seemed like a much simpler method of publishing.

During the past 6 years, I have shared over 350 recipes on that blog. The majority I still make repeatedly today. There have, however, been some one-hit wonders, appearing only once on my plate…not because I didn’t like the foods, but most likely because the recipe involved A) an inordinate amount of work (it is no secret that I am lazy) or B) an ingredient that is a bit more difficult for me to find.

There isn’t a grocery store in my small town. We once were home to a solid store of the basics, but now it is a 10-15 mile jaunt down the highway in either direction to stock up. (Thankfully, the local gas station handles milk, bread and eggs for those I-can’t-believe-I-ran-out moments.) The owners/managers of the area groceries are willing to special order things for me, but I don’t often ask unless I am sure that someone else might be interested. I don’t want to be the reason a dusty case of unicorn meat is languishing away on the shelves.

Instead, over the years, I have searched out online sources for seemingly exotic ingredients. It is also seldom that a trip out of town doesn’t involve a stop at a larger grocery store or specialty market. Collapsible cooler bags are a permanent fixture in the back of my car. I plan ahead. There is a running list in my mind of unfamiliar items I have seen in recipes. I do my best to make my options work for me.

Not everyone is this dedicated to their food. I understand this. When I share a recipe that I love that may include an unfamiliar ingredient, I am not trying to be difficult or spiteful. I just want to share something that I found to be delicious and believe that you may also enjoy.

Andouille sausage isn’t necessarily an unfamiliar ingredient. Anyone that has seen a Cajun episode of a cooking show or even any”reality” (yes, I am a snob and will put that word in quotes when talking about television) show based in Louisiana has heard about this spicy sausage. Many of us have probably sampled flavorful, smoked chunks of this sausage in restaurant dishes. As for finding it at a local grocery? Out here on the prairie, good luck. It is one of those ingredients that might take a little searching for a reliable source.

If you are lucky enough to have a local meat locker that makes smoked sausages, you probably have an acceptable substitution readily available. When replacing Andouille with another sausage, you have the option of controlling the spice level…which might be good for our sometimes mild-mannered South Dakota taste buds.

The Andouille that I have tried has always packed a major punch of heat. However, the heat pairs well with the more delicate flavors of shrimp. Skewering the two alternately, brushing with garlic oil, and then grilling makes a great main dish with rice and a salad, or a hand-held appetizer at a party. Really, there is nothing difficult about Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Skewers.

Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Skewers

1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
1 package Andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
Wooden skewers

Soak wooden skewers in water for about 15 minutes to prevent burning on the grill. Combine garlic and olive oil in a small dish. Prep grill to medium-high heat. Thread shrimp and sausage alternately on the skewers. Brush with the garlic oil. Grill skewers on each side 3-4 minutes, until sausage is heated through and shrimp turns pink. Continue to baste with the garlic oil as grilling. Serves 4-6.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and two dogs reside near Colome.