stick o' sausage: turkey & pepper skewers and roasted asparagus with dijon-lemon sauce

the last meal in this week's series was by far the best and my personal favorite. nothing screams spring more than grilled veggies and meat on a stick. and really - who doesn't love anything on a stick?  i jazzed up these traditional kabobs with a non-traditional pesto sauce to give them that extra oomph.

ingredients:

adapted from food network
2 bell peppers, cut into chunks
1 16 oz package turkey kielbasa sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into chunks
1 cup heirloom tomatoes
3 tablespoons evoo
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup chives
1 large garlic clove
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
s&p

directions:

soak 10 skewers in water for at least 15 minutes - this will prevent them from burning. preheat grill pan to medium high (you can do this outside on a real grill too if you want).

toss the bell peppers, sausage, onion and tomatoes in a bowl with 1 tablespoon evoo and s&p. thread onto the skewers, alternating the sausage and vegetables. grill, turning the skewers every so often for about 6 to 7 minutes. meanwhile, puree the parsley, chives, garlic in a blender with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, 2 tablespoons water and s&p. brush the skewers with some of the pesto and continue to cook, turning, until the tomatoes are tender and the sausage is charred, about 6 to 7 more minutes. before serving, brush skewers with remaining pesto. 

i roasted up these asparagus to round out the meal. i loved the flavor combination between the tangy lemon zest and juice paired with bitterness of the dijon mustard. get the recipe here.