Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Kabobs with Broccoli

I decided to jazz up our basic shrimp kabobs tonight by adding bacon. Everything tastes better with bacon, right? This meal has no waste since you use the bacon trimmings in the broccoli side. I recently read that only 20 percent of the U.S. shrimp supply is wild and that purchasing frozen shrimp is your best bet since fresh-caught shrimp is frozen almost immediately, but you never know how long the shrimp at the fish counter has been thawed. Fortunately, I found that Target stores sell frozen wild shrimp in their Sustainable Seafood section. The bacon on these kabobs is cooked through, but not crispy. The bacon fat keeps the shrimp from drying out on the grill and from overcooking. I use bacon from Wallace Farms, but if you purchase it from the store, be sure to get nitrate-free bacon without a lot of additives.

Serves 2-3.


Ingredients
18 medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 head broccoli, broken into uniform-sized pieces
9 slices uncooked bacon
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon
two-pronged metal skewers or 6-8 wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes
bacon fat, extra virgin olive oil, or coconut oil

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium high.
2. Wrap each piece of shrimp in bacon. Use 1/2 slice bacon per shrimp. Slightly overlap the ends of the bacon, then trim the excess and set aside. 
3. Thread 5 to 6 shrimp on two wooden skewers (like a ladder) or one two-pronged metal skewer. Use skewers to hold bacon around the shrimp. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
4. Grill for 4 minutes or until bacon is lightly browned. Turn the skewers and cook for an additional 4 minutes on the other side.
5. While shrimp cooks, chop excess bacon and saute in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add a little bacon fat, coconut oil, or olive oil if pan is too dry. Add broccoli and toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until broccoli is crisp tender. 
6. Remove from heat, season with pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Serve alongside shrimp kabobs.