The Rural Voice, 2019-08, Page 59Iwas starting to mull around ideas
for the August article when the
garden was finally starting to
show signs of growing and it finally
felt like summer when my son
mentioned they were making skewers
for friends. Yes... the perfect August
BBQ food and they are wonderful for
those of us eating gluten-free because
they do not require a bun and seldom
even require an adaptation to the
recipe!
Making shish kebabs is a labour
of love but well worth the extra effort
at least a couple of times during the
grilling season. The additional prep
time seems worth it when they are
looking so appetizing while you take
time to sit down with a cool drink
and relax before putting them on the
barbeque. Serve with a crock of rice
and a fresh salad and enjoy the
outdoors while you can.
Shish Kebabs
This is a versatile marinade that I
found on an Ontario pork brochure
years ago and it has suited our tastes
perfectly but you may like it a little
hotter or spicier. We will often make
the kebabs with several types of meat
if we are having a crowd and usually
finish up with a few plain veggie
skewers to balance out the meal.
Marinade:
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp honey
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
Kebabs:
2 lb chicken, beef, pork or lamb cut
in 1 1/4 inch cubes
1 lb mushrooms, washed and
trimmed
1 - 2 green peppers
2 sweet red, orange or yellow
peppers
1 red onion
2 small zucchini, unpeeled, sliced in
1/2 inch pieces
Directions:
For marinade mix BBQ sauce,
olive oil, vinegar, honey, lime juice
and hot pepper sauce together.
Set aside about 1/4 of the
marinade to brush on kebabs while
cooking and pour remaining mixture
over beef, chicken, lamb or pork
cubes.
Let sit at room temperature for an
hour or up to 24 hours in the
refrigerator.
An hour before grilling cut
vegetables into roughly 1 1/4 inch
pieces and soak wooden skewers if
you are using them.
Thread marinated meat and
vegetables on skewers alternating
different items.
Brush with marinade left from
meat and let sit for up to 1/2 hour
before cooking.
Throw out marinade that meat was
in once you start cooking. Use the
reserved marinade to brush the
kebabs while cooking. Barbecue for
about 15 minutes, basting with clean
marinade, until meat is done and
vegetables are tender crisp.
Vij’s Ground Meat Kebabs
I adapted this recipe from the
kebabs in “Vij’s At Home” by chef
Vikram Vij who has several famous
Indian restaurants in Vancouver. I
tried it the first time because I had a
56 The Rural Voice
Recipes by Anne Mann
Super summer suppers save time
Shish Kebabs are a versatile way of serving grilled meats and fresh vegetables
for a quick and healthy summer supper.