Grill Greek Shrimp kabobs any time of year

Experiment with a new kabob recipe each week with Sally Sampson’s new cookbook.

Her book “Recipe of the Week: Kabobs,” will give you an excuse to keep the barbecue hot long after the season has sent any fair-weather grillers indoors.

Sampson has written seven cookbooks, including the James-Beard nominated “Fifty-Dollar Dinner Party.” She’s also co-authored six books, including “Chic Simple Cooking” and “The Olives Dessert Cart” with Chef Todd English.

She suggests serving these Greek-inspired skewers wrapped in pita bread with hummus and tabbouleh spiked with lots of fresh mint and parsley on the side.

Greek Shrimp with Lemon and Feta

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 2/3 teaspoon dried

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

36 large peeled deveined shrimp, about 1 1/4 pounds

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

To make the marinade: Place the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the red pepper flakes in a non-reactive 3- to 4-quart bowl and mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Add the shrimp to the bowl and mix until it is completely immersed in the marinade. Alternatively, you can transfer the mixture to a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.

Prepare a grill. When the coals are glowing red, after 15 to 20 minutes, cover with the grate. After 5 minutes, use a wire brush to thoroughly clean the grate. When the coals are covered with a pale gray ash and you can leave your hand 5 inches above the coals for only 2 or 3 seconds, the coals are ready.

To cook, remove as much marinade as possible from the shrimp. Thread the shrimp on skewers and sprinkle all sides with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Place the kabobs on the grate and grill, turning once, until the shrimp are gold brown and firm, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with feta cheese and serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.

Yield: 6 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 100 calories, 6.7 grams fat (2 grams saturated, 61 percent fat calories), 9 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrate, 78 milligrams cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 367 milligrams sodium.