This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FlavorYourSummer #CollectiveBias. A Hawaiian themed Luau makes for a fun Summer party and here I’ll include some easy recipes for Coffee Rubbed, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Skewers and MAGGI® Cilantro Dip, a FREE Hawaiian Activity Pack for Kids with free party decorations, and easy party tips for your next Luau.
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy dishes that can be created on the grill and if you enjoy grilled foods, you’ll love these recipes. Here I’ve combined some favorites -garlic, salt, and coffee to create a savory rub that can be used all summer long to season your favorite meats.
Coffee Rubbed, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Skewers
This dish is very easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. The savory flavors will make this dish a family favorite and the easy to mix coffee rub will make it a go-to seasoning for all your summer cook-outs.
Host a Hawaiian Luau
For our honeymoon my husband and I traveled to Hawaii. There are so many things to love about the island state: tropical breezes, warm sandy beaches, and sunny weather, but one of the most memorable events from our trip was the Hawaiian Luau we attended.
Now, I realize it’s not practical to roast a whole pig in our kitchen, but I can capture some of the wonderful flavors of Hawaii with a little cooking know-how and some easy party decorations that capture the fun and adventure of the Hawaiian culture. I’ve even included some FREE Luau party decorations in this post – they are included in the FREE Hawaiian Printable Pack for Kids. Keep reading to learn more.
Want some party planning inspiration? Join us for a Hawaiian Luau!
Coffee Rubbed Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon NESCAFÉ® CLÁSICO™ Instant Coffee
- 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
- 24 Large shrimp peeled and tail removed*
- 4 Large Bell Peppers cut into chunks
- 1 Package of bacon cut in half (or even thirds) to wrap shrimp
- 8 Wood or metal skewer sticks
* You can easily swap out small pieces of chicken or beef if you prefer.
Directions for Coffee Rubbed Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Step 1: Rinse and cut bell peppers into chunks and set aside.
Step 2: Rinse and remove tails from shrimp. Cut bacon strips in half or into thirds to ensure you have enough pieces to wrap the shrimp.
Step 3: Mix the 1 tablespoon of NESCAFÉ® CLÁSICO™ instant coffee and the 1 tablespoon of garlic salt together in a small bowl to make it easy to sprinkle the coffee and garlic salt rub onto your bacon wrapped shrimp skewers.
Step 4: Thread one or two pieces of bell peppers onto the wooden or metal skewer.
Step 5: Wrap one piece of shrimp with bacon and use the skewer to secure the bacon onto the shrimp by threading the shrimp onto the skewer. Sprinkle on some of the coffee and garlic salt rub to season the bacon and shrimp.
Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all 8 skewers are loaded with shrimp and vegetables. I loaded three bacon wrapped shrimp per skewer.
Step 7: Turn oven on to broil – give it two to three minutes to heat. Place the skewers on broiling dish and broil for 7 to 9 minutes turning the skewers over half-way through. Be careful to keep an eye on this dish as cooking with a broiler can easily burn food.
You can also cook these on a grill on medium to high heat. Cooking times vary depending upon the type of grill you use. Start with 3 to 4 minutes on each side and check frequently to ensure not to overcook. Use metal tongs to turn the skewers so you don’t risk burning anything on the hot broiler grill.
I also cooked-up a tangy nut-flavored dip for dipping veggies and meats into. If you have a food processor or blender this is a very easy recipe to make.
MAGGI® Cilantro Dip Ingredients
- 2 Teaspoons MAGGI® Granulated Chicken Flavor Bullion
- 1 & 1/2 cups packed Cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup Nestlé Media Crema
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove peeled
- 1/4 cup water
Directions for MAGGI® Cilantro Dip
Step 1. Chop away most of the stem from the Cilantro leaving mainly the leaves for the MAGGI® Cilantro Dip.
Step 2. Place everything except the water into a food processor or blender and blend until well combined.
Step 3. Add the water slowly to soften the mix and make everything smoother; and blend until completely mixed.
FREE Hawaiian Printable Pack for Kids
I had almost as much fun creating this FREE Hawaiian Printable Pack for Kids as I did cooking up all this yummy Hawaiian-inspired cuisine. To help families at home recreate this Hawaiian themed Luau party, I included a free printable page of Luau-inspired party decor as part of the printable pack. You can cut out these images and use them as cupcake toppers, napkin ring holders, party glass decorations, and ceiling danglers. If you re-size the decorations page and print the images like stickers onto an 8 1/2″ x 11″ shipping label you can add the images to name tag labels, party invites, thank you cards and just about anything you can imagine.
To download your free copy of this FREE Hawaiian Printable Pack for Kids with coloring, matching, and problem solving worksheets for kids, simply click the blue “download now” button below.
.Hawaiian Themed Party and Hawaiian Luau Ideas
To create this Luau themed party I picked some of my favorite elements from Hawaiian culture. I can still remember the Polynesian tribal Tiki masks used to decorate the resort where we honeymooned. I found the one pictured below online and it doubles as a pinata. I added some hula dancers and coconuts for a festive and fun-filled centerpiece. Can you hear the Luau music playing in the background?
I love to use food as part of party decorations. It helps satisfy hungry guests and it functions as colorful party decor. I used floral cookie cutters to create these flowers from watermelons. I diced and added bananas to create a contrast of colors and flavor.
Other decorations include the adorable clip art I found online for a cute little hula girl and boy as well as some other fun and festive images representative of island culture. I’ve added them to the FREE Hawaiian Printable Pack for Kids. You’ll receive them as a part of the download.
For the fruit flavored drinks, I added colorful straws decorated with Hibiscus flowers and I added fresh Kiwi slices to the rims of the glasses. Who doesn’t love a fresh fruity drink on a hot summer day? Mahalo!
You may also notice that I added grilled pineapple to the yellow rice, and I created fruit bowls from other types of fruit too – like mango and watermelon. I love all the fresh fruits you can find in the tropics.
Where to find the Ingredients
I found all of the ingredients for these dishes at Walmart. You can find the NESCAFÉ® CLÁSICO™ for the Coffee Rubbed Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and the MAGGI® Bouillon for the MAGGI® Cilantro Dip on the Hispanic foods aisle.
Have any Luau plans for summer?
Have any special plans for summer? I think we need to host a least a few cook-outs over at our place featuring tropical fruity drinks and grilled dishes just like the bacon wrapped shrimp skewers I’ve shared here. How do you celebrate summer? Please leave a comment below and join the conversation. I love hearing from my readers.
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