Cooking & Kitchen Vocabulary: Recipe - Chipotle Lime Shrimp Kebabs

Let's boost your English Vocabulary by learning some words and phrases commonly used for cooking or making meals at home.

For this lesson we'll be looking at an easy recipe for Chipotle Lime Shrimp Kebabs.

Let's discover new vocabulary to making a dish in the kitchen at home:

- names of kitchenware used

- names of dish ingredients

- cooking verbs for preparing a dish

- common words related to cooking

- how to follow a recipe in English

It's a good idea to break them up into groups. e.g. when learning names of different types of kitchen tools / equipments, break it up into different groups -

e.g.

Kitchen appliances

- rice cooker

- pressure cooker, etc.

Kitchen tools

- chopping / cutting board

- skewer, etc.

What You'll Learn:

- Recipe / Kitchen Cooking Vocabulary

- Ingredients Word List

- Cooking / Food Preparation Word List

- Step-by-step Recipe Instructions

- How to Take Your English Vocabulary Further

- Let's Test Your Vocabulary & Grammar

A typical recipe usually has 4 parts:

a. Introduction

b. Ingredients list

c. Suggestions, tips or options.

d. Directions / Method

Let's go!

Vocabulary Check!

1. kebab =food cooked on a long stick / metal rod e.g. meat, vegetables etc.

2. chipotle = a type of dried chilli

Part A : Introduction

Meal Type: Appetiser, Lunch / Dinner

Prep Time: 45 minutes (includes marinating)

​Cook Time: 6 minutes

​Serves: 4

Vocabulary Check!

3. Appetiser =food(small amount) taken before the main meal

4. Prep = prepare

5. marinade (noun) = a mixture you add to the food before cooking (e.g. to make it flavourful)

6. marinate / marinade (verb)

7. Serves: 4 = enough for 4 people

Part B : Ingredients (1)

-1-1/4 lbs. extra-large peeled deveined shrimp

-4 skewers

Vocabulary Check!

8. peeled (adjective )=shell removed

9. deveined (adjective) =vein (the long black thread from the shrimp) removed
 10. ​skewer (noun) =long thin metal or bamboo used for grilling food

Part C : Tip, Suggestion, Advice

Tip!

When using frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw, rinse and pat dry before using.

Vocabulary Check!

11. thaw (verb) = ​from frozen state to soft or liquid

12. rinse (verb) = to wash with water e.g. Rinse hands after soaping

13. pat (verb) = to touch something gently e.g. Pat the skin dry.

*Preparation Note:

I prefer to use four 12-15” metal skewers for this recipe. If using wooden skewers be sure to soak for at least 30 minutes before adding shrimp to prevent burning.
 

To Serve:

This is best served hot off the grill. I like them as an appetiser, on top of a fresh garden salad, or in shrimp tacos.

Optional Garnish:

Fresh parsley or cilantro and lime slices.

Vocabulary Check!

14. parsley = a type of herb to flavour food

15. cilantro = leaves of coriander plant to flavour food

Ingredients (2)

Marinade Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (2 limes)

- 1 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder

- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon onion powder

- 1 Tablespoon honey

- salt and black pepper, to taste

Oil-

16. extra virgin olive oil = best quality & flavour, made by crushing the olives - not by chemicals or heat.

Fruit

17. fresh squeezed lime juice (2 limes)

Herbs, Spices, Seasoning-

18. chipotle chili powder​ = ground into powder form

19. smoked paprika = roasted over firewood

20. garlic powder

21. onion powder

22. salt

23. black pepper powder

All the above items are easily available in powder form at the spice & seasoning section of the supermarket.

Grammar Point!

- We use the Imperative Form to give directions & instructions.

1. Whisk marinade ingredients together in small jar with lid.

2. Pour one-half of marinade mixture into large bowl and reserve the other half in the jar for serving.

3. Add shrimp to bowl and toss to coat. Marinate at least 15 minutes but not longer than 30 minutes.

4. Skewer the shrimp, 5-6 per skewer.

5. Preheat grill over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Lightly oil grill.

6. Cook shrimp until no longer translucent, 3-4 minutes on each side.

(Watch carefully as shrimp cook very quickly and will become rubbery if overcooked.)

7. Remove from grill onto a serving platter. Drizzle lightly with reserved marinade.

8. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh parsley sprigs and lime slices.

9. Enjoy!

Vocabulary Check!

Cooking / Food Preparation Method - Verbs and Word Meanings

24. whisk = beat food e.g. egg together with a special tool to make it lighter

25. pour = send liquid from one container to another e.g pour coffee into a cup

26. reserve =to keep aside for later use

27. add = to put something to increase the amount

28. toss = to mix it

29. coat = to cover it up with the mixture

30. skewer = to put pieces of food on the skewer

​31. preheat = to heat before using it

32. grill (noun) = the metal bars over the fire

33. grill (verb) = to cook over fire on a grill

34.remove = to take it away

35. serve = give food

36. garnish = decorate with pieces of food

37. drizzle = pour lightly over food

Learn, Practise & Review Method

Step #1

Learn the names of the ingredients, cooking/preparation method.

Step #2

Practise! Try out the recipe. Read out loud each step as you go along.

Step #3

Review by writing down each step of the recipe using the Imperative Form.

Use the same format if you ever have to give instructions or directions to someone to cook something.

Or if you want to share a recipe with your friend.

1. Write a step-by-step recipe for making a sandwich.

i. Introduce the type of sandwich

- prep time - how long?

- servings for how many people?

ii. List the ingredients.

e.g.

- type of bread

- for filling

- garnish

ii. Include any suggestions, tips or options.

iii. Give step-by-step directions / method to prepare

Tip!

Don't forget to use the Imperative verbs that give instructions, directions, order, advice in a recipe.

We hope you've enjoyed learning some new verbs and vocabulary related to cooking.

Thanks so much for reading. Happy speaking!

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