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Fast & Easy Dinner: Caribbean Chicken Kabobs

partysugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:45:40 -0700

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.

Caribbean Chicken Kabobs
From Betty Crocker

Ingredients

1 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons Caribbean jerk seasoning (dry)
1 small pineapple, rind removed and pineapple cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.
Brush chicken with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Place chicken and jerk seasoning in resealable plastic food-storage bag. Shake bag to coat chicken with seasoning.
Thread chicken, pineapple, bell pepper and onion alternately on each of eight 12-inch metal skewers, leaving 1/4-inch space between each piece. Brush kabobs with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
Cover and grill kabobs over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Serves 8.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicken and Biscuit Kabobs

partysugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:52:28 -0800

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

Chicken and Biscuit Kabobs
From Better Homes & Gardens magazine

1/2 of a 13.5-oz. package (12) frozen cooked, breaded chicken breast chunks
1 4.5-oz. package (6) refrigerated buttermilk or country biscuits
1 medium zucchini and/or squash, cut into 3 x 3/4-inch strips
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 tbsp. honey

Preheat oven to 400 °F.
Arrange chicken chunks in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Microcook, uncovered, on 100 percent power (high) for 1 minute (chicken will not be heated through).
Use kitchen scissors to snip each biscuit in half. On each of 4 metal or wooden skewers alternately thread chicken pieces, biscuit halves, and squash, leaving about 1/4 inch between pieces. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and chicken is heated through.
Meanwhile, whisk together melted butter and honey. Drizzle some of the mixture over kabobs. Pass remainder for dipping.

Serves 4.

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Super Natural Cooking for the Rest of Us

YumSugar — Thu, 10 May 2007 05:58:32 -0700

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

And if you need something to wash this down, I suggest trying Heidi's White Sangria.

Muhammara-Slathered Kabobs
Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole & Natural Ingredients Into Your Cooking by Heidi Swanson. Photographs by Heidi Swanson. Copyright 2007. Published by Celestial Arts.

1 tbsp red pepper flakes (or 1 small chile)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup whole-grain bread crumbs (coarse)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or pomegranate juice)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2-3 roasted bell peppers
1/2 to 1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt

2 red onions (cut into 6 wedges)
3 lemons, each cut into 4 lengthwise wedges
12 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 12 equal-sized cubes
12 mushrooms
extra-virgin olive oil
fine-grain sea salt

Prepare a medium-hot grill; if the temperature is right, you should be able to hold your hand a few inches above the grate for 4 or 5 seconds.
In the meantime, make the muhammara. Using a hand blender (preferably) or a conventional blender, puree the pepper flakes, cumin, walnuts, bread crumbs, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste and red peppers to a smooth, even consistency. Mix in the warm water in increments to achieve an easily spreadable consistency similar to a thick yogurt. If you're going to use it for dipping, you might want to make it a bit thicker. Stir in the salt and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Onto 6 medium-length skewers, thread an onion wedge, a lemon wedge, a cube of tofu [we actually used cubes of chicken that were sprinkled with salt & pepper], and a mushroom, then repeat. Brush each kabob generously with olive oil and season with salt. Put the kabobs on the grill and cover. Cook, rotating regularly and brushing with olive oil every few minute until onions are tender [or until chicken is cooked] - about 12 minutes.
To eat, slather each kabob with muhammara, slide off the skewers and squeeze the juice from the roasted lemons over everything.

Makes 6 [delicious!] kabobs.

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Clemenquat Salad with Walnuts and Parmesan Shavings
Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole & Natural Ingredients Into Your Cooking by Heidi Swanson. Photographs by Heidi Swanson. Copyright 2007. Published by Celestial Arts.

6 or 7 clementines
7 stalks of celery, stripped of strings
10 kumquats
3 big handfuls of walnut halves, toasted
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
fine-grain sea salt
fresh ground pepper
block of parmesan cheese

Cut away the top and bottom ends from each clementine with a serrated knife, removing just enough to get to the flesh. Rest each clementine on one flat end and slice downward, cutting off the peel in 4 or 5 big strips. If you don't like citrus membranes, cradle the fruit in one palm and cut out each segment by running the knife between the fruit and the membrane one the sides of each segment. Otherwise, just pull the clementines into segments by hand. Either way, you'll want to remove any seeds. Place in a bowl.
Slice the celery 1/8 inch thin on a slight diagonal and add to the bowl. Using a serrated knife as not to crush the kumquats, slice them into 1/8-inch-thick rounds and add to the bowl. When you hit seeds in the kumquats, pop them out with the tip of your knife. Add the toasted walnuts.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, a few pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then toss gently with clean hands so the fragile citrus pieces remain intact. Make Parmesan curls by running a vegetable peeler along the long side of the block of Parmesan and top each serving with a few curls.

Serves 4-6.

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'Wich of the Week: Grilled Chicken, Onion, and Apples

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:00:04 -0700

I have a serious weakness for savory-sweet combos, including sandwiches featuring apples. Since I've been craving baguette sandwiches lately, I decided to indulge my two sandwich fixations at a friend's recent barbecue (hence the paper plates).

These sandwiches are as easy as making kabobs, throwing them on the grill, and simply showcasing the ingredients on a fresh baguette. I coated the chicken with some poultry rub I found in my friend's pantry, but you could just as easily use salt and pepper, and if you don't own a grill, you can bake the skewers in the oven.

The important thing is charring the chicken just right and cooking the apples until they are warm but still juicy. Though some of the guests were puzzled at first by the combination of onions and apples, everyone loved the tender and tart results. To get the easy recipe, read more.

Grilled Chicken, Apple, and Onion Sandwiches
Original Recipe

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons prepared poultry spice rub
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion
1 large green apple (Granny Smith or similar)
4 wooden skewers
1 sweet baguette
Honey mustard, to taste

Directions

Prepare chicken: Cut each breast into 8 large chunks, to get a total of 16 chicken pieces. Coat each piece evenly with spice rub, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Soak skewers in water for at least one hour.
Preheat grill to 375°F (a medium-hot fire) or preheat oven to 425°F.
Slice onion into 16 large, wedge-shaped chunks that are big enough to be skewered.
Core apple and cut into 12 slices.
Remove chicken from fridge and coat evenly with olive oil.
On each skewer, spear 4 pieces of chicken, 3 slices of apple, and 4 pieces of onion, alternating ingredients.
Place skewers on the grill, and cook until chicken is just cooked through and slightly charred, turning often, about 8 minutes. Or, arrange skewers on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the baguette into four quarters, then slice each quarter in half horizontally.
To make each sandwich, spread a bit of mustard onto the bottom half of baguette, then arrange the ingredients from one kabob on the bread. Top with remaining baguette half.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

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What Do You Do With Leftovers?

partysugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:15:10 -0700

Yesterday DearSugar told me she recently had a party. She bought a bunch of food and invited friends over to watch the Colts game. Her appetizers were so amazing that no one wanted to eat her main course and she was left wondering what to do with a large quantity of chicken kabobs. It got me thinking about leftovers and how I generally use them. What do you do with leftovers?

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