Add grilled seafood to summer meals

Grilled meals provide a summer escape for many Canyon Lake families by offering opportunities to spend moments together while enjoying flavorful dishes. As those in Canyon Lake face uncertainty in many aspects of life, one place they should be able to turn to for normalcy is food.

One option that checks boxes including comfort, fun, taste and variety: seafood. As a nutritious protein available locally, it is versatile and can be paired with a variety of cuisines and flavors. Options range from salmon and shrimp to crab, tuna and more.

To encourage hungry Americans to enjoy the many benefits of eating seafood, the “Eat Seafood America” campaign offers these reasons to add fish, shrimp and more to your menu:

Whether you order online, head to a store or purchase fresh from a local fisherman, seafood is widely available. Seafood works for a variety of dishes and cooking methods, such as these recipes for Easy Shrimp Skewers, a light and hassle-free family meal, or Seared Salmon with Mediterranean Salsa, a fun spin on cowboy caviar.

Seafood provides essential nutrients that support immune health, such as omega-3s that may even help reduce anxiety, according to research published by “The Journal of the American Medical Association.”

Purchasing seafood supports 2 million American jobs for men and women who follow high levels of food safety practices to provide sustainable seafood.

Seafood offers an escape as a way for families to enjoy a favorite meal that reminds loved ones of vacation memories from oceanside paradises.

Easy Shrimp Skewers

Recipe courtesy of Annessa Chumbley, RDN, on behalf of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 5

• 10 wooden skewers
• Water
• 2 medium zucchinis, cut into large chunks
• 2 medium bell peppers (any color), cut into large chunks
• 2 red onions, cut into large chunks
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 10-12 ounces cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on
• olive oil
• sea salt, to taste
• 1 lemon, juice only

In bowl, soak skewer sticks in water at least 10 minutes to prevent burning on grill). Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Build skewers by alternating zucchinis, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and shrimp, pushing ingredients closely together on each skewer.

Brush each with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, to taste. Cook skewers about 9 minutes, rotating every 3 minutes until veggies and shrimp are seared but not overcooked.

Remove and place on large platter. Drizzle with lemon juice and serve.