Summer is here so time to fire up that grill! This colorful blend of meaty grilled swordfish kabobs with zucchini, tomatoes, onion and peppers is a delicious way to enjoy being outdoors. But it doesn’t stop there. Serve these skewers with creamy cilantro cashew dipping sauce and grilled corn and your palate will thank you all year long!
Now here comes the icing on the cake! Or should I say on the swordfish kabobs!
This ultra creamy cashew cilantro sauce that comes with it so delicious to serve on anything grilled or as a sandwich or wrap spread. The cream is from raw soaked cashews and leftovers are just as tasty and tangy.
When I was a kid all I wanted to do was grow up. In college I was driven and eager to start my career and just wanted to graduate. My eyes knew what was ahead: a job in advertising. Through school cooking and grilling was not on my radar until I moved in with my boyfriend (now husband) and I started taking control of my health. I remember my favorite meal was gluten-free pasta tossed with sauteed ratatouille vegetables and topped with chicken or fish steaks such as as swordfish, tuna or mackerel. If I had a grill in my tiny little apartment I would have gladly made swordfish kabobs and grilled vegetable kabobs to add to my pasta! It was cheap, easy and a delicious balanced meal!
Now that I am an adult some days I yearn to be a carefree kid again. It was a time I did not appreciate as freely as I should have. I mean, I did appreciate my childhood and college years and always have made sure to make the most of every moment. It is the most important part of life.
But I was busy looking ahead. Almost like a gravitational pull stretching me to spread seeds in this world to the path is is present today.
Then you get to a certain age and what matters is the people you spend time with along with what you do. For me it is always surrounded by food. And the great outdoors happens to one of my favorite places to enjoy a blessed meal together with family and friends. Grilling swordfish kabobs, vegetables, shrimp, corn on the cobb, chicken (I will let my husband handle the steak and burgers, I am totally content living without:-)- makes me a happy lady to relish over these food with friends.
Grilling vegetables and meats is so easy and simple and provides a little bit more of socializing when gathered with friends. Plus nothing says summer like a feast around a grill firing up your favorite colorful vegetable kebab, corn or meat. I will even take an excellent grilled pizza too! But a good fish recipe I could eat almost daily.
Swordfish kabobs are really fun to make because there are somehow leftover vegetables in the process so my kids love to be a part of it and put the veggies on the sticks.
Where to begin? Lets begin with the "how's".
How to make kabobs?
Start by gathering your favorite seasonal vegetables (or fruits!), meat, poultry or seafood to grill. Fruit skewers work too but will need less time to cook and make sure they are cut into big chunks about 1-2 inch squares.
Soak bamboo skewers for about 30 minutes prior to grilling. This will prevent them from burning.
Prepare skewers with food and grill on high for 5-15 minutes until desired tenderness is met for vegetables and meat is cooked through.
Fish skewers:
Start with fresh seafood from your local fisheries or market and use it the same day you purchased it. For grilling you will want to use a thick "steak" fish, not a flaky fish. Slice off any extra skin then chop into cubes.
Marinade the fish in avocado oil, or olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper and parsley for about 30 minutes prior to grilling. Grill on high for about 8 minutes total rotating constantly or until the fish is no longer transparent in color.
Make sure the skewers have been soaked for 30 minutes prior to adding the fish to them. Add about 5 cubes of fish per stick.
*If making shrimp skewers, just add the shrimp to the same marinade and cook until it starts to turn pink.
Vegetable kabobs:
Prepare by soaking the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Then get your most delicious seasonal vegetables and core peppers and remove seeds. Then cut into cubes. If using zucchini or eggplant slice off the ends and slice into ½-1 inch slices. Sprinkle with salt first to remove any extra water.
Grill the same as meats, about 5-15 minutes turning consistently to prevent overly burning. Cook until desired texture is met.
How to grill corn on the cob?
Corn on the cob can be cooked two ways. First, rinsed then wrapped in foil then sprinkled with salt, pepper, butter and any other seasonings you like. Or make grilled corn with the husks on. Either way make sure to pour water on first.
Heat the grill on high and cook the corn on the cob either in the foil or with husks on high for about 15 minutes rotating about every 5 minutes. Let set about 5 minutes before removing the husks and foil. The corn kernels should be soft but not wrinkled.
These grilled swordfish kabobs can be cooked to your liking, just make sure the fish is cooked until it is no longer transparent in the center. The shorter the cooking duration the more tender the vegetables and the healthier they are!
You will probably have extra veggies so make a few extra vegetable skewers for a larger crowd or to serve another night tossed with pasta.
Grilled Swordfish Kabobs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. wild caught swordfish steaks
- 4 corn in their husks
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 red or orange bell pepper
- 1 yellow squash
- 1 zucchini
- ½ cup grape tomatoes
- ¼ red onion
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt
- lemon or lime wedges
Cashew Sauce
- 1 cup raw whole cashews
- 1 ¼ cup fresh water
- 1 large handful of cilantro leaves
- 1 large handful of basil leaves
- ½ cup mint leaves
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest or lime zest
Instructions
- MAKE THE DIPPING SAUCE: Soak the cashews in 1 cup of water for 3 hours. After 3 hours drain the water and rinse the cashews. In a blender or food processor add the drained cashews, ¼ cup of water, cilantro, basil, mint, ¼ cup olive oil, garlic, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt, apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice and lemon zest. Set aside until ready to use or store in the refrigerator.
- PREPARE THE FISH: Slice off any skin from the swordfish steaks then slice the fish into 2” cubes. In a large zip-lock bag add the cubed fish, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, salt, pepper and ¼ cup olive oil. Seal closed then mix around to cover the fish and set it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile soak skewers in water for 30 minutes to help prevent them from burning on the grill. Also wet the corn with the husks still on.
- Cut the peppers by removing the tops and seeds then cutting them into chunks. Slice the onions into chunks and cut the zucchini and squash into 1-inch slices. Now you are ready to make the skewers. Start by mixing up the vegetables and about 2-3 fish pieces per skewer and vegetables evenly in-between. You will end up with about 6-7 skewers with extra leftover vegetables. Use the vegetables to make just vegetable skewers. Drizzle the leftover oil in the bag over the skewers and using your hands mix it to coat the vegetables and fish.
- Preheat the grill and grill the corn on high for 15-20 minutes flipping every 5 minutes. The kernels should be nice and soft but not wrinkly. Wrap in foil until ready to serve when the skewers are done.
- Grill the skewers on medium heat for 4 minutes and flip for another 3-5 minutes. Check the fish after a total of 6 minutes. When the fish is done it will not be opaque in color and slightly flaky with grill marks.
- Squeeze lemon or lime on top of the skewers right before eating and serve them with grilled corn and creamy cilantro sauce for dipping and over the corn.
Notes
Nutrition
PIN IT! GRILLED VEGETABLES & SWORDFISH KABOBS RECIPE!
Naomi says
This looks amazing! I am always searching for good non-dairy dipping sauces for my kids. Do you know how long this sauce would keep in the refrigerator?
Danielle | Delightful Mom Food says
It will last about 3-5 days. It may separate slightly, so shake it up before using.
Albert Bevia says
These kabobs are so beautiful, and swordfish really is a great choice of fish for a kebab, nice and firm. That cashew cilantro sauce looks so amazing!!! this is the perfect summer dish.
Danielle @ Delightful Mom Food says
Thank you! The sauce adds just the right creaminess and healthy fats to this fish dish!