Shish Kabobs Baby!

Hi all,

I haven't written in a while.  I got a teaching job two weeks about and have been frantically setting up my classroom.  I hate to admit it but John and I have been eating junkfood every night for dinner.

Last night we had some of out lovely friends over (Nate, Taylor and Travis).  Taylor and Nate brought some fabulous couscous and a tasty apple crisp.

John and I took care of the main dish.  I wanted to make kabobs because I NEVER make them, so I googled some recipes online and found some tasty ideas.  I added and took away some ingredients and everything turned out so good! We also had an abundance of cucumber and tomato from the garden so I made a scrumptious salad with that too.

Happy Labor Day!

Dinner with Taylor and Nate:

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs 

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves -
cut into 2 inch pieces
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
bacon for wrapping around chicken ( I did not do this but I saw many people with similar recipes who did and it sounds really good!)
skewers

Directions:
1.     In a shallow glass dish, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Stir the chicken pieces and pineapple into the marinade until well coated. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
2.     Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
3.     Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken and pineapple alternately onto skewers. Grill 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until chicken juices run clear.


Steak Kabobs
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

 1 ½ - 2 pounds of lean beef, preferably filet mignon, although any steak cut will do.
 1 green pepper
 1 Spanish onion
 1 pint cherry tomatoes
Small potatoes, various colors.
 2 cups olive oil
 1 clove, minced garlic
 2 tbsp chopped basil

1 Tbsp chopped oregano

1 Tbsp chopped rosemary
 1 tbsp grill seasoning
1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Begin by cutting the beef into 1 - 1 ½ inch cubes. Or enough to place 4 on each kabob.      

2.  Now it's time to chop the vegetables. Cut the zucchini into thick slices to make round circles.
3.   Clean the peppers. Cut into square slices, about an inch or so wide, do the same with the onion. You want it to look uniform so all the pieces should be about the same size.

4. Place the beef cubes and vegetables (with the tomatoes) into a large bowl.

5.  Add olive oil, vinegar, basil, oregano, rosemary, garlic, and your salt and pepper. Mix this up until the vegetables and beef cubes are covered evenly.
 6, refrigerate this mixture for at least 6 hours, 24 recommended.
7.  When you are ready to grill, light your grill and let it get hot.
8. Put everything on skewers.
9.  When you're ready to grill, just place them across the bars to get some good grill marks, close to the heat. Turn each one every 3-4 minutes, allowing each side to brown evenly.
10.  The beef should come out about medium, though you'll probably get a variety of temperatures.


Tomato and Cucumber Salad

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium tomatoes diced or sliced the way you want them2 medium cucumbers, peeled & sliced

2 onions, sliced and separated into rings

2 Tbsp. Vinegar

1/4 c. Olive Oil

2 Tbsp. Sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. minced fresh parsley.  

Set aside your cut up tomatoes, cucumbers & onions.  In your bowl or mason jar, pour in the remaining ingredients and mix or shake. Throw in your maters, cumbers, and onions into the jar with the mixture and toss around until mixed good.  Marinate 2hrs before serving.