Summertime Shish Kebabs

Get a load of how easy these Summertime Shish Kebabs are to whip up, the only catch, you need to start them ahead of time, but that is what makes entertaining so easy, make ahead items! Best to let them hang out in the marinade 4-6 hours (or more) for the best flavor.

I’ve always called them shish kaBOBs, not keBABs and yet a little googling set me straight.

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Shish Kebab, funny couple of words, so it got me thinking (dangerous I know), what in the world is a kebab and who shished them? I read this fun little history that I have no idea if it’s true or not, but it all sounds good so I’m going with it. The gist of it is this; the word kebab literally means “to roast.” It’s apparently of Turkish origin and shish kebab means: “gobbets of meat roasted on a spit or skewers.” So there you have it, enjoy your gobbets of meat roasted on skewers!

We had a couple over for dinner this past weekend when I made these kebabs, they are so fun because they are customizable by the “skewer.” Cut up a bunch of great veggies and stuff to add to your skewers and you have a colorful, flavorful and healthy dinner!

Once again I got this recipe from a girlfriend (Thanks Natalie!) during our MOPS days; our kids are no longer preschoolers, heck they’re in high school now, but we still see one another and love sharing great recipes. If I remember right, the recipe might be from one of the Jr. League cookbooks, they are just the best in case you’ve never bought one. Tried and true!

Start by whipping up your marinade*.

TIP | Remember to start your marinade at least 4 hours in advance, preferably 6 hours or more of your planned eating time, or overnight works too.

Pour your oil into a medium sized bowl…

Next gather your soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard, add to the oil…

Smash your garlic and rough chop it, toss in marinade…

your lemons for your juice and pour into marinade…

your marinade until combined. Set aside.

Cut your steak and/or chicken into cubes, about 1 ½ inches each.

If doing both types of meat, place into separate containers; pour marinade evenly over the meat making sure it swims in marinade.

Stir it around a bit, making sure all pieces are covered well. Cover and place in fridge for 4-6 hours at minimum. I love these , they go from fridge to oven.

When you are ready to skewer up the kebabs, dice up your favorite veggies and don’t forget the pineapple.

I love the mini peppers, they are quick and easy to slice in half, scrape out the few seeds and speer on the kabobs, ugh kebabs.

Sweet onions are a must, even if you don’t eat them, they impart such wonderful flavors into the meat.

And the pineapple, oh the pineapple, the sweetness deepens while it’s grilled, if that is even possible.

Oh and for my husband, mushrooms, me I’m not a ‘shroom fan, although I love their flavor, just not their texture!

Tomatoes too, if you do them, make sure they are nice big round cherry tomatoes as they tend to shrivel and fall between the grates of the grill if they are too small.

Phew, it’s like a Farmer’s Market on a stick!

Start the kebabs, alternating, veggies and meat. I have always started with an onion chunk first, feels like it kind of holds everything together.

If desired, allow people to customize their skewer by asking what they would like and alternate colors and meats for a well balanced kabob, eh kebab.

TIP: RESERVE MARINADE for basting.

Grill on medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, turning so that they brown evenly.

with reserved marinade as you turn them.

TIP: Remember the metal skewers get hot! Use tongs or an oven mit, because if you are like me, even though they are on a stinking hot grill, I think I can just reach in and turn them, not!

Remove from grill and allow to rest for a minute, covered in foil.

Enjoy your gobbets of meat! I might have to rename them, I’m just getting tickled over that word, GOBBETS.

These would be lovely served with a rice pilaf or brown rice and a simple Caprese salad, with a side of ripe and juicy watermelon.

For the easy Caprese salad; slice (this is my favorite knife) a nice beefy tomato, alternating it with slices of fresh, creamy mozzarella, drizzle with olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Chiffonade some fresh basil and sprinkle all over, grind some fresh sea salt and if desired fresh ground pepper.

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I was making sure I spelled Caprese correctly and read that it was originally made to resemble the colors of the Italian flag! Kebabs and Caprese a Mediterranean feast!

Like this marinade, give these others a try:

Famous Flank Steak Marinade
Coconut Lime Chicken
Betty’s Pork Marinade

If you try this recipe, be sure to tag @thefreshcooky on Instagram and hashtag #thefreshcooky.

Summertime Shish Kebabs with Caprese Salad

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

An amazingly simple but delicious marinade for beef and chicken. Skewer it up with your favorite veggies and you’ve got dinner!

• Author: The Fresh Cooky
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 6 hours
• Total Time: 6 hours 20 mins
• Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Barbecue

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• MARINADE
• 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed and rough chopped
• 1 cup vegetable oil, I used Avocado oil
• ¼ cup soy sauce (I prefer Bragg’s or Tamari)
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce (I like Annie’s natural)
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1–2 teaspoons ground pepper
• KEBABS
• 5 lbs sirloin or New York Strip steak (or mix and match half chicken, half beef)
• 1–2 Sweet Onions, such as Walla-Walla or Vidalia (any onion will work, even red onions)
• 1 bag mini peppers, variety of colors, split in half or 1 each red, yellow, orange
• 1 lb or box of mushrooms of choice (optional)
• ½ fresh pineapple, cut into large chunks
• CAPRESE SALAD
• 1 large beefy tomato, sliced thick
• 1 round of creamy, fresh mozzarella, sliced same as tomato
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Fresh Basil, chopped
• Fresh Sea salt

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients, set aside.
2. Cut beef and/or chicken into 1 ½ inch cubes and place in shallow dish or container (keeping meats separate)
3. Pour marinade over meat(s) and stir to coat all sides.
4. Marinate in refrigerator 4-6 hours, or overnight. Stirring occasionally.
5. Prepare veggies & pineapple for skewers, by cutting into large chunks.
6. If mushrooms have stems remove stems.
7. Once meat has marinated required amount of time, assemble kabobs by placing what each guest would like on their kabob, alternating colors and meat(s).
8. Reserve marinade for basting.
9. Grill over medium high eat 4-5 minutes per side, turning and basting with reserved marinade.
10. Remove from grill and cover with foil, allowing to sit just 1-2 minutes.
11. Caprese Salad
12. Slice tomato into thick slices
13. Slice mozzarella into similar sized slices as tomatoes
14. Drizzle with olive oil
15. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar
16. sprinkle fresh basil all over
17. Grind fresh sea salt over it all, serve room temp
18. Suggested pairings: Caprese salad, pasta salad, rice pilaf or brown rice. Add color to your table with chunks of fresh watermelon.

Notes

Copyright 2017 | This recipe for Summertime Kebabs was featured first on The Fresh Cooky.

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If you try this recipe, be sure to tag @thefreshcooky on Instagram and hashtag #thefreshcooky.

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