kabobs

Grilled kabobs are ideal for a family of picky eaters. Arrange an assortment of ingredients and invite everyone to make a skewer to his or her liking. The vegetarian can avoid meat, and the mushroom-hater will gladly load his skewer with onions and roasted red peppers. This recipe calls for a mild, firm fish, so choose your favorite, be it halibut, salmon, or swordfish. To look at this crowd-pleasing recipe, read more

During Summer, kabobs are ideal for quick, simple dinners. While you can load the skewers with any proteins or vegetables, this recipe takes inspiration from the Caribbean. Chicken chunks are seasoned with jerk before being layered with bell peppers, red onions, and pineapples. The sweet, fresh fruit counteracts the spicy seasoning. To get the uncomplicated recipe, read more

Nothing makes food more fun than serving it on a stick. Both children and grown kids will love these sausage fruit kabobs. Smoked sausage slices are skewered with chunks of crispy apples and fresh zucchini. A sweet honey mustard sauce is delicious for dipping. Although the recipe has you broil the kabobs, they would also be wonderful grilled. To take a look at the recipe, read more

A couple of weeks ago I featured a recipe for a quick, classic version of chicken and biscuits. You guys ate it right up, so when I found this recipe for a modern, deconstructed version of chicken and biscuits, I knew I had to share it! Instead of being cooked casserole-style, the chicken and biscuits are cooked like a kabob on a stick, and the sauce is transformed into a dip. It's a mixture of honey and butter, but I'm going to stir in mustard to give it some kick. Get the recipe when you read more

If you're like me, you probably have a tendency to turn your meat into kabobs. However, sometimes a primal craving strikes and all you want is a nice, big, juicy steak. So why not keep your meat intact and skewer only the veggies? This grilled beef sirloin is slathered in a fragrant mustard-thyme glaze and the farmer's market inspired skewers will keep you from feeling guilty. Pair it with some garlic bread and you'll be set. Oh and did I mention that it's simple enough you could make it for dinner tonight, tomorrow or any other day of the week? To get the recipe, read more

One of my favorite websites is 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson. So, when I found out that Heidi's cookbook, Super Natural Cooking was finally published, I had to get my hands on a copy. I had no idea that it would become one of my most favorite cookbooks - I have even taken to reading it before bedtime - especially since it's one that's "good for me." And yet, I can't stop myself from gushing about this book, I've told so many people about it, and plan on getting a copy of it for many others. It is handsdown one of the most gorgeous cookbooks I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of cookbooks). The beautiful photography and layout really draw you into the book, and the recipes look so delectable, if it wasn't for some of the odd ingredients, I might not have realized it was "healthy."

Designed for people who want to easily incorporate healthier, natural, whole-foods into their cooking style, Super Natural Cooking is surprisingly modern and fresh. It manages to do it without coming across as stuffy, preachy or annoyingly hippy. There are general guidelines on how to begin thinking in these terms, tips on how to stock a whole-food pantry and great definitions too. Seriously, this book is fantastic (see, gushing about it again), the recipes are great, simple and there are even substitutions for some of the harder to find ingredients. If you've always thought that healthy food meant disgusting food, this book will make you think again.

Jimmy's one of those people who hate "healthy food", so it was difficult convincing him to try something from a book called Super Natural Cooking, but once I showed him the recipe for Muhammara-Slathered Kabobs (and promised that we could use chicken instead of tofu) he was sold on the idea. The muhammara had a nice rich flavor that really brought a nice complexity to the kabobs - I've been enjoying the leftovers on chips too. I tried to find a salad to pair with it, but in the end I really wanted to try the Clemenquat Salad and so opted to make it as a starter. The celery brought a fantastic crunch to the salad and the tang from the citrus really paired well with the parmesan - I believe I just found my new spring staple.

To check out the recipes for Muhammara-Slathered Kabobs and Clemenquat Salad, read more