Although National BBQ Month was back in May, now is still the perfect time for grilling up delicious food on the “barbie”. Whether you prefer chicken or seafood, traditional barbeque food or vegetarian cuisine, the possibilities for various shish kabob options and combinations are endless. Head on over to your nearest supermarket to pick up some ingredients and supplies so you can begin making mouth-watering shish kabobs on the grill.
Grilling can be lots of fun and extremely appetizing but it can also be very dangerous if proper procedures are not followed. So, before you fire up the grill, especially if you don't grill very often, make sure you brush up on good grilling safety measures. When you're working with raw food and such high temperatures and equipment, you definitely want to make sure you're following best protocol to protect yourself, your family, and those who have come to enjoy the fruits of your grilling.
Chicken and Bacon Shish Kabobs
Ingredients:
3 skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
½ pound bacon sliced and cut in half
10 large mushroom cut in half
1 can drained pineapple chunks
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 minced onions
Package of skewers
Directions: Mix together your soy sauce, minced green onion, honey, cider vinegar, and canola oil. Let the chicken and mushroom marinate in this mixture for an hour or more in a covered container. Then preheat your grill on high. Take the mushroom and chicken out of the marinade and wrap them and the bacon together and start placing them on the skewers interchanging with the mushrooms and pineapple chunks. Heat up extra marinade in a sauce pan, bring it to a boil, and then let it simmer on a lower heat for about 10 minutes. Oil the grill lightly then arrange your skewers on the grill. Cook on the grill for 15-20 minutes while lightly brushing on the marinade as you cook the kabobs until the bacon is nice and crisp.
Ingredients:
3 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Skewers
3 minced up garlic cloves
½ cup minced basil leaves
2 & ½ tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup melted butter
1 & ½ lemons, juiced
Pinch of salt
Directions: Mix together melted butter and olive oil in a large bowl. Add in mustard, lemon juice, garlic, basil, and season with salt. Now add in the shrimp and let marinade in the refrigerator for an hour, covered. Preheat the grill to a high heat and place the shrimp on the skewers. Lightly oil the grill and arrange the skewers on the grill, cooking them for about 4-5 minutes and turning over once.
Vegetable Kabobs with Pesto Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
Skewers
1 cup cherry tomatoes
6 small summer squash, cut into chunks
1 red onion, cut into slices
2 bell peppers of your choice cut into wedges
Pesto Vinaigrette Ingredients:
2 cups basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper for taste
½ cup olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
Directions: Combine basil, and garlic in a food processor and blend. Then add in ½ cup of the extra virgin olive oil and blend until smooth. Then add in the rest of the remaining extra virgin olive oil from your 2/3 cup and blend together. Next whisk together your pesto with the juice from 1 lemon and the ½ cup olive oil. Now you have your vinaigrette! For a gas grill heat on medium heat but for a charcoal grill heat on high until the coals get a slightly red glow and they burn to gray ash. Skewer your vegetables, mixing the patterns with various vegetables. Brush the vinaigrette onto the skewers before you arrange them on the grill. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning them over at the half way point until the vegetables are lightly charred. Serve them with the vinaigrette on the side for dipping.
What are some other shish kabob recipes you're really looking forward to trying this summer? Let us know your personal favorite shish kabob combinations!
[Source: AllRecipes, AllRecipes, EzraPoundCake]