Kabobing along

Kabob feast, originally uploaded by mud pie gourmet.

My alma mater is not known for its partying. Students party in a different way than most universities--no alcohol. One of my most memorable parties I went to was at my friend, Brooke's house. It was packed, and it was a "Make your own Kabob Bar." They had a table set up with everything you can think of to put on a kabob--tomatoes, peppers, onion, mushrooms, beef, chicken... We were sitting around with some friends, waiting for our personalized kabobs to cook, a challenge with how many people were there, when a friend ate some chicken. It wasn't until we were talking about waiting for our chicken to cook that she realized her mistake--she had eaten the chicken raw. I guess the room was dark, but she didn't realize she had just eaten a big piece of chicken sushi. The story has a happy ending--no salmonella.

I love kabobs for entertaining a crowd because they provide guests with choices--in meats, in marinades, and in sauces. Just make sure they don't eat the chicken before it's cooked.

MENU:

Kabobs--in two to three different marinades, using meat, chicken, or pork
Cilantro Ginger marinade
Peanut Marinade
Sauces--Cilantro Pepper
Tomato, Cucumber, Feta
Peanut Sauce
Veggie Kabobs
Pita with Hummus
Cilantro Rice (or Couscous)
Grapes
Dessert--Fresh fruit tart or Baklava

Kabobs
plan for 1/4-1/2 lb of meat per person

Cut chicken, meat or pork into 1x1 inch chunks

Cilantro Garlic Marinade
for 1 1/2 lbs meat

3 garlic cloves
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp ground mustard
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup lemon juice
Kosher salt and ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until well blended. Marinate meat for at least an hour or overnight in a ziplock bag. Place meat on skewers.

Grill over medium-high about 10 minutes, rotating and marinating as they cook.

Peanut Marinade

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1 garlic clove
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until well blended. Marinate meat for at least an hour or overnight in a ziplock bag. Place meat on skewers.

Grill over medium-high about 10 minutes, rotating and marinating as they cook.

Cilantro Pepper Sauce

1/4 cup chopped onion
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 T water
1/4 cup lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor to chop finely. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tomato, Feta and Cucumber Relish

2 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/4-1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1 tsp salt
1 T lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Peanut Sauce

2 garlic cloves
1/2 onion, chopped
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 T ginger, minced
1 T olive oil
1 cup coconut milk
2 T soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and simmer over low until thick, about 4 minutes. Thin with coconut milk, if necessary.

Veggie Kabobs

Zucchini, sliced
Yellow Squash, sliced
Red, orange, yellow, green peppers, 1-inch chunks
Onion, 1 inch chunks
Cherry tomatoes
Mushrooms
Fresh Pineapple

I just marinate the veggie kabobs in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar with salt and pepper. We put them on separate skewers since they cook at a different speed than the meat. You can also choose not to put the veggies on on skewers and just grill them in larger pieces (i.e. peppers in fourths).