Food for thought: GDS-free shish kabobs like honey-mustard chicken
By Kyra Hoggan
I’m so sorry I’m late getting this to you – believe it or not, I was trying to get a stuffed turkey in the oven early enough that we won’t be eating at 8 or 9 p.m. Do I know how to celebrate Mother’s Day, or WHAT?
The shish kabobs would’ve been my first choice for tonight, but they needed to be cooked and photographed early enough for you to make them your Sunday dinner, if the spirit moves you (or, if you’re a mom like me, maybe it will move that angelic soul who’s giving you a breather and doing the cooking for you).
Either way, these are easy enough to ensure good results with minimal effort. I love kabobs – they SCREAM summer to me, and they’re not only user friendly, they also have a billion variations so they never get boring. For veg, I usually use peppers and mushrooms, but you can use cherry tomatoes, summer squash, chunks of corn-on-the-cob, quartered red onions. Even baby potatoes (but steam them a bit first, so they’re cooked through). Virtually any meat works, too. Shrimp, bacon-wrapped scallops, lamb, game, pork … I even have a friend who does salmon and broccoli skewers with fresh dill, and they’re to DIE for (literally, as it turns out I’m also allergic to salmon. Live and learn, haha).
First, tips and tricks for marinades – white wine for fish and light meats, red for red meats and game, if you choose to booze. When choosing veg, imagine it paired with your marinade flavours. For example, I don’t like sweet with tomatoes, so I wouldn’t pair them with a honey glaze. Some base lines to remember are: beef and game meats do well with sweet (Coca-cola, honey, maple) and need to be marinated longer because they can be tough. Pork fares well with fruit (pear marinade is my fave with pork tenderloin). Chicken goes with absolutely everything, and seafood is best served with lemon and herbs like dill, in my humble opinion.
If you can use fresh herbs, do – but that’s not essential.
For prep, the sharp knife is critical here – there’s a fair whack of chopping involved – and it’s okay to use bamboo skewers, but soak them in water for 1/2 hour first to keep them from burning. That way, if the kids refuse to wash up after, you have a handy weapon (Oh relax, I was kidding, send your hate mail to Deb McIntosh, care of City Hall).
Why dirty dishes by marinating in a bowl? Dump the marinade ingredients into Ziplock freezer bag, mush around to mix, then add meat, and mush around some more. Voila! You can marinate for hours, if you wish, or overnight – I usually forget and they marinate only as long as it takes me to chop the veg. Still tastes okay, though, so I don’t sweat it.
Honey/mustard/garlic shish kebobs
Four chicken breasts, cut into (roughly) one-inch cubes
1 zucchini, cut into one-inch disks
1 package whole mushrooms, washed and the really big ones cut in half (I know washing is supposed to bruise them, but they’re grown in manure, for crying out loud. No way, no how do I cook ’em without a good scrub beforehand). Feel free to use portabella mushrooms, or any other kind that rings your bell.
Three or four bell peppers – we prefer the orange or yellow variety, because they’re sweeter and easier on a younger palate (ie, best choice for young kids), but the red and green are prettier, so it’s up to you. The green really works with honey. Cut peppers into chucks about 11/2 to 2 inches wide.
1 cup honey
1/3 cup mustard (I prefer Dijon, but mostly because I like to say the word ‘Dijon’. Yellow will do in a pinch, and if you’re using dried mustard, I’d use 3 or 4 tbsp)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp hot chili flakes (use fresh hot pepper if you have some, or tobasco in a pinch. Add more for hotter, less for milder)
Honey, mustard, oil, lemon juice, garlic and hot pepper flakes in Ziplock freezer bag, mush around to mix. Add chicken, make sure it’s all coated, stick in fridge. You can leave this overnight, or just until veg is chopped. Your call.
Pre-heat bbq (or set oven to broil).
Thread alternating chunks of meat/veg onto skewers, leaving small space between each to allow for full cooking. Kids like helping with this step, but remember it’s raw meat, make sure they’re washing hands often and well.
Place on broil tray (or cooking sheet covered in tin foil with metal rack on top) or grill, pour remaining marinade over and discard freezer bag. Cook for about 7 – 10 minutes per side, or until honey is caramelized and chicken is white all the way through).
Serve on bed of rice with light salad and lots of napkins.
Lemon Pepper Beef Kabobs
I lb top sirloin grilling steak (or however much your family will eat), cut into roughly 1-inch cubes
I large bell pepper, cut into 1-1/2 to 2-inch pieces
1 red onion, cut into chunks about one-inch square
I package whole mushrooms
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice (I like to add a little zest, too, but it’s not a must)
3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or tarragon, if you prefer)
pinch each salt and pepper
Dump all but veg into freezer bag, mush around, set aside, prep veg. Thread onto skewer and cook same as above (but only about 5 or 6 minutes/side, you don’t want to over cook the beef). Serve with new potato salad and red wine.
Now try this – add red wine to beef marinade. Or maybe, for chicken, use curry powder, cumin, oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and ginger. How about pork with just olive oil, balsamic vinegar and chopped fresh dill?
Kebobs, more than any recipe in the world, demand that you play around with your favourite flavours and have fun with it.
Happy Mother’s Day!
