Beef or Chicken and Veggie Skewers - recipe theme

I originally posted this recipe on Facebook back in 2015 and thought it was a great recipe to wrap up the recipe theme and fulfill my wish to make simple recipes.  Don’t be daunted by the long ingredient list, you can use any vegetables you have in the house.  Even though that are on the way out, all veggies work great on skewers, so use up the rubbery carrots and limp celery and make these tasty skewers and if the weather is good where you are, try them on the outdoor grill, if not roast them in the oven.

The sauce for this is bright and springy with a tangy yogurt-garlic-cucumber combination.  We like to use Greek yogurt because it has a thick enough texture to blend with high-moisture ingredients without becoming too thin.  And they are just as tasty with chicken as they are with beef.

Beef and Veggie Skewers

1/2 cup grated peeled seedless cucumber (or regular cucumber)*
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 large garlic cloves, minced, divided (or 2 tsp garlic powder)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, divided (optional)
3 teaspoons lemon juice, divided

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

12 oz. stew meat or beef top sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2-to 2-inch pieces
      If you only have chicken, cut 2 large breasts into 1 ½ inch cubes
4 large cherry tomatoes
1 diagonal cut carrot (optional)
2 wide cut celery ribs

1 green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 (1/2-inch) wedges red onion

Directions:

Grate the cucumber and drain in fine strainer over small bowl, pressing with spatula to extract juices; discard juices. Combine cucumber and yogurt in small bowl. Stir in half of the garlic, 1/2 tablespoon of the mint, 3/4 teaspoon of the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and dash of the pepper.

Place beef in shallow dish. Combine remaining minced garlic, 1 tablespoon mint, 2 1/4 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and herbs in small bowl; pour over meat, turning to coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Heat grill. Thread beef onto 2 (12-inch) metal skewers, separating pieces slightly. Thread vegetables onto 2 (12-inch) metal skewers, beginning and ending with tomatoes. Grill, covered, over medium heat or coals 6 minutes for beef for medium-rare and 10 to 12 minutes for vegetables or until crisp-tender, turning to brown all sides. In the over broil on high for about the same amount of time, turning to brown all sides.

*Seedless cucumbers, also called hothouse or English cucumbers, are thinner and longer than regular cucumbers. They're sold wrapped in plastic.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr)

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Spicy Sweet Chicken Kabobs - Weekend Recipe

This weekend I was to be speaking at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show, both Saturday and Sunday.  I had prepared my Infusions program for Saturday and Blending Herbs for Tea and Cooking for Sunday.  

Infusions is a program I love doing and created especially for the Chicago Flower and Garden Show about 5 years ago.  I decided to turn it into a book to kick off a series of small books called Herbs R Easy.  My lecture participants have consistently said that I make herbs seem easy and I realized it was a great theme.  So I brainstormed 43 different ideas that I can turn into small easy-to-read books on singular subjects all related to herbs. The books easy to digest and the instructions simple to use, making Herbs Easy.

Until we schedule a book launch, you can pick up a digital copy of my book INFUSION, first in the series Herbs R Easy, on my website. Infusion focuses on making herb flavored items, like honey, compound butter, and herbal wine or vinegar.  If you are interested in my new book, check out this link to a digital version.

This recipe is great if you make an herb infused honey, especially one made with pineapple sage or ginger. 

Spicy Sweet Chicken Kabobs

1 14-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained

1 medium red pepper  

1 Tbls vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup of honey, plain or herbal

1/4 tsp ginger, powdered

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1/4 cup pineapple juice

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

Cut each chicken breast into 1-inch cubes. Combine oil, soy sauce, honey, pineapple juice and powdered ginger and garlic in a large zip seal bag and add chicken. Marinade the chicken in the sauce overnight.

Dice red pepper and drain pineapple.  Then alternately thread marinated chicken, pepper and pineapple onto skewers.  Brush kabobs with any remaining marinade and discard what is left over. Broil, about 6 inches from heat source, 12 to 14 minutes, turning and brushing. 

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr)

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Fruit Kabobs - Monday comfort food

Today I thought I’d share an unusual kabob ingredient.  We often think of kabobs as a meat dish or vegetable preparation, but today I thought I would share two fruit kabobs.  The first is to be served cold the second is to be grilled.  Each has a sauce that can be served with them or brushed on.   

Dipped Fruit Kabobs (makes 12)

1 tart apple cut in 1-inch cubes

1 pear cut in 1-inch cubes

1 can unsweetened pineapple chunks

30 to 40 individual mint leaves

24 grapes

24 strawberries

1 Tbls lemon juice

For Dip:

1 ½ cups vanilla yogurt

4 1/2  tsp flaked coconut

4 1/2 tsp unsweetened orange marmalade

2 tsp freshly chopped mint

Toss apple and pear with lemon juice.  Divide ingredients into 12 even portions and thread onto wooden skewers.  Combine dip ingredients in a small bowl. Chill and serve with kabobs.

Grilled Fruit Kabobs (makes 8)

This recipe is a great grilled dessert, with a sweet and tart flavor.  Just make sure the grill is cleaned of meat before grilling fruit or the flavor will be contaminated.

For syrup:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

¼ cup peeled and thinly sliced fresh ginger

For kabobs:

4 bananas, not overly ripe

4 large peaches

1 small pineapple

1 medium-size papaya, ripe, but not too soft

Make the syrup: combine sugar with water and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, strain out ginger.

Make the kabobs: Cut unpeeled bananas into 2-inch chunks, make a small slit in the peels. Quarter the peaches, discarding pit.  Peel and core pineapple; cut into 2-inch pieces. Peel papaya, cut in half, discard seeds and cut into 2-inch chunks. Thread fruit onto 8 wood skewers and brush lightly with ginger syrup.   Grill over high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side.  Brush with more syrup and serve warm.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr)

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)