Culinary Confessional

Grilled Pork Kebabs with Ginger Molasses Barbeque Sauce 1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons ketchup 1-1/2 tablespoons molasses 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon jalapeno, minced 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced 1 teaspoon salt, separated Oil to grease the grill 30 wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes Preheat the grill to medium-high. For barbecue sauce, stir together all ingredients (except the pork and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt) in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes.  Then transfer the sauce to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cut the tenderloin in half and then in slices.  Thread two skewers through each slice of pork and place on tray covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle pork with the reserved salt and brush both sides with the barbecue sauce, then grill, uncovered, turning only once, about 5-6 minutes.  Use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of the pork (at least 145-deg internal), then serve. Approximate Nutritional Values:  http://australian.food.com/recipe/bbq-pork-kebabs-256602

Grilled Pork Kebabs with Ginger Molasses Barbeque Sauce 6 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp ketchup 1-1/2 tbsp molasses 1 tbsp garlic, minced 1 tbsp jalapeno pepper, minced, including seeds 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced 1 teaspoon salt, divided 1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed Salt Preheat grill to about 350-deg. Soak about 30 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. For the barbecue sauce, stir together the vinegar, sugar, ketchup, molasses, garlic, pepper, ginger, and 1/2 tsp of salt in a 1-1/2 quart saucepan and bring to a simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and reduces in half, about 3 minutes.  Then transfer the sauce to a medium-sized bowl and cool to room temperature.  Place the pork tenderloin on cutting board and first cut it in half, and then in slices.  Thread two skewers for each kebab (for stability), spacing the pork pieces about 1” apart. Sprinkle the pork with the remaining salt, then brush both sides with the barbecue sauce. Grill the kebabs on an oiled grill, uncovered, turning only once, just cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.  Discard the leftover sauce unless you boil it. Approximate Nutritional Values:  http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-molasses-pork-tenderloin-319247

Grilled Chicken Tandoori Kebabs 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2" cubes 3 tbsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp curry powder 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp ginger, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 6 oz plain yogurt Juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cucumber, thinly julienned 1/8 tsp white vinegar  4 wooden skewers (soaked in water for at least 20 minutes) or four small stalks of lemongrass  Naan or pita bread for serving  Preheat your grill to high. Whisk the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika, cayenne, and salt together.  Then add the ginger and garlic.  Add the chicken cubes and toss well to coat. Spoon the chicken into a large ziplock bag and add the yogurt and lemon juice.  Seal the bag and flip the bag to once again coat the chicken.  Open the bag slightly and squeeze the excess air out, then seal again and lay flat in the fridge for at least three hours to let the flavors marry. Arrange the chicken pieces either on the wooden skewers or the lemongrass stalks, then grill until lightly charred on all sides, about 10-12 minutes.   In a small bowl, combine the cucumber and vinegar to make a simple slaw.  Add a pinch of salt if desired. Remove the skewers from heat and let them sit a few minutes to let the flavors marry.  Meanwhile, place the naan or pita on the grill for about a minute, just to warm. Remove the chicken from the skewers and place on top of the naan or pita, then top with the cucumber slaw. Approximate Nutritional Values: http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-tandoori-style-chicken-279907  

Grilled Swordfish Kebabs 2 lb swordfish, cut into 1.5" thick cubes 12 bay leaves  1/2 cup olive oil 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 small onion, minced 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced 1/2 tsp sea salt Freshly ground black pepper  Wood skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes Combine 4 bay leaves and the rest of the ingredients in a plastic baggie, then marinate in the fridge for 1 hour. Using two skewers per kebab, alternate the fish and the remaining bay leaves.   Heat grill to medium-high, then place tinfoil on top.  Place the kebabs on top of the foil and grill for 4 minutes on each side, basting with the remaining marinade liquid.  Serve with rice or assorted grilled veggies. Approximate Nutritional Values: http://www.food.com/recipe/swordfish-kebabs-61667  

Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Kebabs Yields about 4 servings (10 Kebabs)

        Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces 2 small green bell peppers (or 1 1/2 large), diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces 2 small red bell peppers (or 1 1/2 large), diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces 1 large yellow onion, diced into 1 1/2 inch wedges 3 heaping cups fresh pineapple, diced into 1 1/2 inch chunks (and about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick) 

         Marinade/glaze: 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar 1/4 cup honey 3 Tbsp orange marmalade 1 tsp molasses 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbsp cold water 2 1/2 tsp cornstarch 

         Directions: In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, light-brown sugar, honey, orange marmalade, molasses, grated ginger, garlic and pepper. Reserve 1 cup of sauce mixture in a bowl in refrigerator and pour remaining sauce over diced chicken in a large ziploc bag. Seal bag and place bag in a bowl (to prevent leaks) in refrigerator and allow chicken to marinate 4 hours in refrigerator. 

        To prepare glaze, pour reserved 1 cup sauce into a small saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp cold water and cornstarch, then pour cornstarch mixture into saucepan and stir. Bring sauce just to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Once mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat and allow to gently boil 1 minute,  stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

        To prepare kabobs, using either metal skewers or water soaked wood skewers, thread a piece of marinated chicken (discard marinade), followed by an onion wedge, a chunk of red pepper, a chunk of green pepper and a chunk of pineapple, then repeat pattern twice and finish with an additional piece of chicken (I fit 4 pieces of chicken on the kebab total then 3 of everything else). Grill kebabs over medium heat, 12 - 16 minutes rotating once halfway through grilling, until chicken has fully cooked through. Remove from grill and brush kebabs with teriyaki sauce, serve warm with cooked white or brown rice if desired (alternately you can brush kebabs with teriyaki sauce during the last few minutes of grilling but I say why waste such good sauce that will drip to bottom of the grill).

        Approximate Nutritional Value: http://www.food.com/recipe/teriyaki-kebabs-228964

Sausage Kabobs with Artichoke and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

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Sausage Sandwich Kabobs

Ingredients:

Preparation:

For the artichoke and sausage kabobs: Alternate placing sausage, artichoke, and mushrooms onto a grill safe skewer.

For the sausage sandwich kabobs: Slide baguette onto grill safe skewer and alternate filling the skewer with peppers, onion and sausage; ending with another piece of baguette.

Grill over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes (or according to directions on package for your sausage, depending on what kind you picked up) making sure to rotate often to not burn the bread or artichoke.

Chicken Pineapple and Shrimp on a Stick

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Dice the chicken and let it mingle with Trader Joe’s Soyaki for a few hours. Skewer the chicken and pineapple and throw them on a well oiled grill over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through, rotating about every 2 minutes. Meanwhile, skewer the shrimp, about 6 per kabob and place over medium heat for approx 5 to 8 minutes, turning once halfway through. Baste both the chicken and shrimp kabobs with extra marinade if desired.

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I served this with:

Coconut Rice

from Coconut Oil Cooking

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover tightly, reduce heat to very low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff rice when cooked.