2009.06.17
Supper on a stick
Monday night meal at Chez Nair-Swank
Never underestimate the value of a good skewer. Also, never forget to soak a good skewer in water for about 20 minutes before you thread the food on -- it prevents the wood from burning.
From the looks of the picture, I forgot to do the presoak. But that's okay, we still turned out a healthy, delicious meal. It was so easy and delicious, in fact, that I'm dreaming of all the other foods I could put on a skewer and toss on the grill.
This supper consisted of shrimp marinated in Lawry's Louisiana Red Pepper Marinade, accompanied by lightly seasoned veggie skewers of zucchini, red pepper and onion. With a side of rice, it was the perfect light supper.
Other skewer ideas:
* Pot roast on a stick: beef cubes, carrot slices, potatoes and pearl onions. Be sure to blanch the vegetables first to make them cook a bit faster.
* Sweet and sour pork: Pork loin chunks, sweet pepper, onion, pineapple chunks.
* A night by the sea: Shrimp and scallops on one skewer; blanched potatoes and chunks of corn on the cob on the other.
* Dessert of paradise: Chunks of pineapple marinated in dark rum and brown sugar, grilled and served warm with vanilla ice cream.
I just tossed those out off the top of my head. What other "theme" kabobs could we make?
Something with chicken.
Comment by Anita — June 17, 2009 @ 12:00 pm
I so wish I was your neighbor. All the good food we could share. Today, for lunch I made the crockpot mac and cheese and a cabbage casserole that was delicious.
Comment by Sharon — June 17, 2009 @ 1:44 pm
I make Chicken on a stick sometimes. I've always tried to recreate Tongs Thai Too's recipe for Chicken Satay, but usually fall a little short.
The kids will always eat my sorry attempts anyway (and without too much grumbling). Especially if there's chocolate cake for dessert.
Comment by Amy Hanek — June 17, 2009 @ 3:11 pm
Pork chop and apple kabobs are a favorite of mine. Brush the apples with a brown sugar glaze and blaze on.
Comment by Rich — June 17, 2009 @ 3:36 pm
lindsey,
have you by any chance tried the new sauce that kroger carrys called camps sauce? you can use it for marinating, a dip most anything.. the flavor is very universal and well blended...i have already used it for meatballs, chicken and seafood. and it isnt very expensive either.
Comment by opal — June 17, 2009 @ 4:05 pm
Opal, I have tried it on burgers and it was very good. I want to try it on some other things soon.
I noticed a big display case of it at my Kroger store on Town Square Blvd. And the company owner, Steve Tresser, says it is selling like hotcakes at Ukrop's now.
Comment by Lindsey Nair — June 18, 2009 @ 10:16 am
Rather than soaking disposable wooden skewers, you could always invest in metal ones. That way you can use them over and over again.
Comment by Heather — June 18, 2009 @ 3:02 pm
Shrimp marinated in a mixture of red chili peppers, honey, pineapple juice, and soy sauce. Add a few skewers of veggies with the same marinade. Don't grill these over high heat because of the high sugar content in the marinade.
Ground lamb with chopped mint and oregano, crumbled feta, coriander, and cumin. Form into small oval patties of sorts around the skewers and serve with a yogurt sauce of Greek yogurt, finely minced garlic and cucumbers, and lemon juice. Make sure to clean your grill grates and use some high-heat Pam on it before grilling the lamb skewers. They can stick easily if you're not careful.
Both meals are great when served with the Kashi Whole Grain sides - tailor the flavor choice to the protein and spices you've chosen for your skewers.
Comment by Amy — June 18, 2009 @ 6:18 pm
one summer during college a bunch of us used to have cookouts and i made all kinds of kabobs. i second the pork/ apple suggstion. i also like to use chunks of onion on those (and i next time i think i will add some bacon). i made some great lamb kabobs with chunks of lamb and onion.
Comment by seth — June 24, 2009 @ 7:27 pm