When my mind goes blank and I need to come up with something quick for dinner, my go-to meal is skewers. Whether it’s just my family, or I’m entertaining others, skewers offer the versatility to mix and match whatever I’m in the mood for. As a plus, they are an easy (and saucepan-free) way to incorporate veggies into the meal. Best of all, they’re economical. You need only about half the protein you’d normally serve because the other items add bulk. To keep from getting too predictable, I like to mix it up by adding one or two unexpected ingredients.

--Jeanne Besser

Hands on time: 30 minutes  Total time: 30 minutes  Serves: 4

Ingredients:

3/4 pound large peeled shrimp

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce, divided

11/2 cups ripe pineapple chunks

2 to 3 green onions, white and light green parts only, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions:

Preheat the grill. In a bowl, combine shrimp and 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Skewer shrimp, pineapple, green onions and bell pepper, alternating pieces.

Grill for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, and basting frequently with reserved 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce.

Grill until shrimp are cooked through and vegetables are crisp-tender.

Notes:

In this version, I used jumbo local shrimp, which were on sale, and chose green onions instead of the more predictable onion for piquancy. To jazz it up, I slipped on fresh, ripe and juicy pineapple chunks, then added red bell pepper for color. I brushed on teriyaki sauce for the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Make sure that if you’re using quick-cooking shrimp, you pick veggies that don’t need much grill time. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water first.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 155 calories (percent of calories from fat, 9), 19 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams fat (trace saturated), 129 milligrams cholesterol, 534 milligrams sodium.