Chicken and Beef Kebabs

Chicken and Beef Kebabs

It was absolutely the perfect night to grill and eat dinner outside. Kebabs are such a wonderful, healthy dinner and so easy to prepare. You can use any combination of vegetables and meats and easily change the flavor based on what marinade you select. I made two different marinades tonight - one for the beef and one for the chicken. Our favorite was the beef, but both were very tasty. The key to perfect kebabs is knowing the cooking times of the veggies and how you combine them with the meat. It's also very important to consider how big or small you cut each ingredient. I like to combine beef with onions, peppers and mushrooms and chicken with zucchini. Red onions are deliciously sweet and add beautiful color. You can certainly slice the zucchini's vertically in 1/4 inch slices, but I tried something a bit different tonight. I sliced them horizantally to create ribbons, par-cooked them in salted boiling water for 3 minutes and then wove them around the chicken (see picture). If you choose tomatoes as one of your ingredients, make sure they are firm and cut into good size chunks that won't fall off. Lastly, make sure not to overcook your meat and always use a well pre-heated grill!

origin - lisa lou
difficulty - easy

Dijon Rosemary Marinade
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
few splashes of olive oil
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
1 large shallot finely chopped
2 tbsp worchestire sauce
1 heaping tbsp brown sugar

2 NY strip steaks cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 large red onion cut into 2 inch wedges
1 yellow pepper cut into 2 inch chunks

Combine all marinade ingredients and add meat. Marinate for 4-24 hours. Using wooden skewers alternate meat, onion and pepper. Grill on high for approximately 4 minutes per side. Try to only turn once.

Cilantro Lemon Marinade
1 handful fresh cilantro finely chopped (do not substitue dried - it's gross)
1 bunch scallions finely chopped
juice of one lemon
juice of one lime
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
salt/pepper

3 boneless chicken breast cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2-3 zucchini's sliced horizantally - boil in salted water for 3-4 minutes, place in ice water bath to stop cooking

Combine all marinade ingredients and add chicken. Marinate for 4-24 hours. Weave the zucchini around each piece of chicken on wooden skewers. Grill medium-high heat for 5 minutes per side. Try to only turn once.