Grilled Shrimp and Smoky Grilled-Corn Grits

Ingredients

• 2 ears fresh corn
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound peeled, jumbo raw shrimp with tails (1 6/20 count), deveined
• 16 (6-inch) metal skewers
• 1 pt. grape tomatoes
• 1/2 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms, quartered
• 1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Grill corn, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes or until done, turning once. Cut kernels from cobs. Discard cobs.
2. 2. Bring salt and 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until thickened. Stir in corn kernels, cheese, and chipotle pepper. Cover and keep warm.
3. 3. Stir together olive oil and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Toss shrimp with olive oil mixture; let stand at room temperature 3 minutes.
4. 4. Remove shrimp from marinade, discarding marinade. Thread shrimp onto skewers alternately with tomatoes, mushrooms, and bell peppers.
5. 5. Grill kabobs, covered with grill lid, 4 to 5 minutes on each side or just until shrimp turn pink. Serve kabobs with grits, and sprinkle with cilantro just before serving.