Grilling Shish Kabob and Back Yard Living

I think Shish Kabob is one of  the easiest meals to make and yet still delicious. My family has always done it, especially when there were lots of us to feed, because it is very budget friendly. You can take an inexpensive cut of meat, cut it into cubes and marinate it and it will go a loooong way. While I am sure there are much more sophisticated marinades, I still use the same one my grandmother always made to cook outside in her big backyard in Hampton, VA. Vegetables were always plentiful and cheap, so it was easy to fill out the meal, paired with a big dish of rice.

Grilling shish kabob and eating it brings back so many happy childhood memories for me. My grandfather worked long, hard hours, so my grandmother and mother always "manned" the grill. When we visited in the summertime, there were always lots of cousins, aunts and uncles who ostensibly came to "see us",  but the reality was, our family always loved to get together. Any old excuse to eat outside was good enough! SO, out came the bags of charcoal and the long picnic table, set up under the crepe myrtles that were in the middle of the yard, and put us kind of in the shade. Corn would be shucked, mostly by the kids, pitchers of lemonade set out, along with a few cans of bug spray. Highballs were mixed, beers chilled in old metal coolers or washtubs and the party would be on it's way.

We tried to get dinner ready so that we ate as the sun was about to set and the temperature would start drop a little. My grandfather would arrive, just in time to get cleaned up and eat with the family. No man has ever been welcomed home so joyfully! Hot and tired as he was, he always had a big smile and hug for every one of us.

The timing of the meal was such that it was light enough and you could still see your food, but starting to cool off. We could just barely stand to be away from the fans and one huge, hardworking air conditioner that labored away overtime. We could only eat outside in the backyard if the heat and humidity had receded a little. The Virginia peninsula is a hot and humid environment, with notoriously sticky summers. The kitchen was always hot during the summer months, no matter how hard we tried to cool it, as was the "breakfast room". While eating outside was sticky, it was often hotter in the kitchen. Late 50's and even into the 60's, almost no one had central air in Virginia, especially in an old house.

After dinner, if the bugs weren't too bad, we'd lounge around the back yard, kids chasing lightning bugs, or organizing games of "No Bears Out Tonight" while the grown-ups sipped their libations of choice. If we were lucky, or it was a holiday, we'd wave sparklers with wild abandon, conjuring up spells and making rainbows in the night. There were always a few mayonnaise jars with holes punched in the lids, so we could collect the lightening bugs we caught. Rich chocolate cakes or strawberry shortcakes were usually the desserts of choice, but Grandaddy always retreated, sooner rather than later, to inside and the air conditioner and a bowl of ice cream. He'd had enough of the heat and humidity.

Big, fat, lemony smelling citronella candles in clear and colored oval glass holders would be lit and set down the length of the picnic table and next to the lawn chairs on little metal tables. Later, out would come my grandmother's mouth harp, and she'd softly warm up with "You Are My Sunshine". If the bugs got too bad, we'd retreat to the nearby screened porch.  Many nights we just stayed where we were, under the crepe myrtles. Those who felt inclined, would sing and sing and sing:  Old hymns and folk songs, sung and hummed in gentle harmonies, until the little ones would nod off and be carried away, to sleep on any available bed or couch. It was a dear, sweet way to grow up.  I can still smell the nearby marsh and creek, mixed up with scents from my grandmothers' flowers and the honeysuckle that grew in the hedge. How lucky we were...

Eating Shish Kabob over brown rice, outside on a perfect night on the patio!

Making Shish Kabob

This is a method, as opposed to a recipe. It's easy and inexpensive and guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!
One large London Broil or Sirloin Steak, cut into 1:" cubes AND/OR
2 - 3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 green pepper, 1 large onion, 1 pint fresh mushrooms, 1 pint cherry tomatoes or 4 - 5 large slightly under ripe tomatoes
Zucchini and or yellow squash, cut into 1" thick rounds (optional)
3 c. cooked rice (at least this amount for 6 or more servings)
Metal or bamboo skewers
Marinade for the Beef: 1 c. Wishbone French Dressing, 2 T. Worcestershire Sauce, pinch black pepper, 2 tsp. Adolf's Meat Tenderizer, no MSG kind

Marinade for the Vegetables and Chicken: Your choice, 2c. Wishbone Light Italian or French Dressing, or mixture of one on one vegetable, one on another (see below for how I do it).

It's easy, cut up the meat and wash the veggies. Cut the peppers and onions to about 1' sized cubes. Leave the mushrooms and cherry tomatoes whole; If using big tomatoes, cut them into quarters. Put the meat in one bowl with the marinade, and the chicken and veggies in another. Keep the MEAT AND CHICKEN SEPARATE! Don't mix them in with the veggies or with one another (food safety, you know!).
Don't marinate the chicken, tomatoes or mushrooms until about 30 minutes before you plan to grill them. You can marinate the meat overnight if you like to cook ahead. I like to marinate the onions and peppers in French dressing and the chicken, tomatoes and mushrooms in Light Italian. I also prefer the squash and zucchini in the Italian dressing. My grandmother did everything in the French, and she did not include any chicken, so this is purely a matter of preference.

Shish Kabob skewers ready for the grill

When you skewer the meat, push it together on the kabob so one piece touches the other one, not loosely with space between each square. Same way for the vegetables, as shown in my pictures. (no chicken shown in the pictures) Skewer the meat separately from the veggies. I know the cooking shows on TV always have the meat and veggies skewered together, but I find that the harder vegetables take longer to cook than the meat and the softer vegetables. We usually skewer the the peppers and onions together and the tomatoes and mushrooms together or each on their own skewers. Same thing for the squash, if we are using it.

The big chunks of onions and peppers will take the longest, next the meats, then the soft veggies. We eat our beef rare, so we don't cook it too long, usually about 4 - 5 minutes on each side. Cook it longer if you like well done. Conversely, we prefer our vegetables a little more cooked, so they soften, so we cook them about 8 - 10 minutes on each side. Be sure to cook the chicken completely through, with no pink showing.
When we serve it, I like to put the rice on a LARGE serving platter and then just pile on the meat and veggies. Keeping them in separate piles, which I did when my kids were younger, allows each person to select their own choice of meat and vegetables. This is great served with fresh corn on the cob or all on it's own. Don't forget a chocolate cake or strawberry shortcake for dessert!

My Grandmother and me, picking flowers in her big backyard, under a crepe myrtle tree

Perfect burger?

This is my sons' idea of HIS perfect burger, complete with cheddar cheese, mayo, juicy tomato and a FRIED EGG! He toasted his bun on the outside grill and then loaded it up. I don't know what I think of the fried egg on top, but I must admit it LOOKED tasty. See how cute the egg is? We attended a family party over the weekend, and one of my many cousins brought tiny little chicken eggs, from her "teenage" chickens, as she called them. They were organic, free range, happy chickens too, with little speckles on their tiny eggs. They fried up into a perfect size for burger topping.

Prior to cooking our burgers on the grill, there ensued a major, rather loud discussion, about how to form the patties. My husband likes to make the patties, and he forms them into roughly the shape of a fat flying saucer, with a big hump in the middle. After many hours spent watching the Food Network, I think they should be slightly hollowed out in the center, with uniform edges. Dear hubs taper off at the edges, resulting in overcooked edges and almost raw middles. I won last night, and the burgers were perfect, if I do say so myself. Cudos to Bobby Flay and Rachel Ray for the shaping lessons!!

Manly Man Cooking

I have had good luck growing hot peppers in containers around my patio. I have 2 pepper plants -- one cayenne and one jalapeno. The jalapenos are coming in right now -- I can pick as many as I want and it still seems like the "bush" is loaded! This afternoon, my husband picked a peck (not literally!) and then HE stuffed them for a super easy, summer appetizer:

Hot Peppers Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Bacon!
Hot stuffed peppers are a really manly thing to eat, so it's fitting that Mr. Man steps into the kitchen to make them. My hub likes to be in control now and then, and I always embrace it! Especially when the dish is as tasty as this one is!

We all know that everything tastes better with bacon, right? To make the stuffed peppers, have on hand some light cream cheese, a few rashers of cooked bacon and as many peppers as you need for your group to eat. Tonight, we made 9 stuffed peppers, and used 3 slices of bacon. First prepare your peppers. Cut off the stem and cut out a little elongated triangle from the pepper and clean out some or all of the seed. The more seeds, the hotter; the less seeds, the milder the appetizer will be. We had only used these peppers in chili and a stir fry, and weren't sure how hot these peppers would be on their own, so we cleaned out all of the seeds.

When you have your peppers ready, put about a tsp. of light cream cheese into them, just enought to fill them but not spill over the top. You want to keep the cheese IN the pepper!
Then, chop your bacon into slivers and sprinkle this over the cheese, very carefully, making sure each pepper has several little pieces of bacon on it. Lastly, grill the peppers until they are a little charred on the outside and the cheese is nice and hot. Make yourself a cocktail, and enjoy!

It's All Greek To Me!

Tonight, I am trying something new. An all Greek, home-made meal. The chicken is marinating in a yogurt and rosemary infused marinade, and even the spanikopita was made by me and my friend di cucina, Kathy. Working with phyllo dough is a little tricky, as it dries out very quickly. I printed off Ina Garten's recipe for "Dinner Spanikopita" and followed it to the letter. The results were fabulous! So, if you are feeling adventurous in the kitchen, check it out at foodnetwork.com. Even with 2 experienced cooks working the recipe, it took us over an hour to produce about a dozen servings. We made them in a bigger size, which I think was easier, since it was our first time working with frozen phyllo dough. The chicken is also adapted from an Ina recipe. It's grilled outside, so does not heat up your kitchen. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which are fairly easy on the budget and the waistline! Don't be scared of the yogurt in the recipe. It makes the meat so juicy and delicious. I think you are going to love going Greek! Greek Style Grilled Chicken Thighs 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4 to 6 pieces each 1 lb. non-fat plain yogurt 5 T. fresh rosemary, snipped 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced 1/2 tsp. dried oregano juice of 1 lemon the zest from 1/2 of that lemon 1 tsp. sea salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 medium red onion, quartered and separated into pieces

Mix together everything except the red onion. Let this mixture marinate in the frig at least 30 minutes, up to over night. Over a large cookie sheet, thread your chicken pieces on to a skewer (bamboo or metal, but be sure to soak the bamboo first in water if that's what you use) alternately with a piece of red onion. This is a very messy procedure! Be sure to wash your hands well after handling raw chicken and clean any surface that it touches. Preheat your outside grill or get a grill pan nice and hot. Lay your chicken skewer on the grill, turn the heat down a little and let it alone for about 5 minutes. Turn it once and grill a few more minutes till the onion starts to brown and the chicken is cooked through -- about 8 - 10 minutes total. Serve with rice or pita bread.

What's For Dinner, Mom? part deux

What's for dinner, Mom? The dreaded afternoon question, heard round the world as the evening rolls in...As the mom of boys, it's the question that always hangs in the air, swirling around, ready to explode if there is no answer or an unsatisfactory one.

I've got an answer tonight...London Broil is on sale at Ukrops, $2.98/lb. London broil is a nice lean cut of meat that can lend itself to many dishes. Our favorite way is to marinate it and then grill it, nice and rare. You let it rest for a few minutes -- at least 5 -- and slice it thinly across the grain, like you do flank, flat iron or skirt steak.

Basic Beef Marinade

1/2 c. Wishbone Fat Free Italian dressing

1 tsp. Adolph's meat tenderizer (no msg type)

2 T. soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper

Put this into a large zip lock storage style bag along with your London Broil. Let it sit in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight.

Be careful not to overcook the meat. The meat is medium rare when it "feels" like the fat pad at the base of your thumb. If it feels firmer, it's more well done, softer, it is rarer. I always think it's better to slightly undercook it, than to overcook it. You can always cook it a little more plus it does cook a little after it comes off the grill while it sits to recollect it's juices. Chefs and food TV types say to "Let the meat rest".

Lettuce Wraps

My husband and I love to sit at the bar at PF Changs and order Chicken Lettuce Wraps with our cocktail. However, not too long ago I saw the calorie count for them, and realized that they won't fit in with my current eating plan. I tried a few different lower calorie ones, but none really measured up to my expectations. Then I found this recipe, which I changed up a little to satisfy my craving for those high cal babies. Now, these wraps are made from flank or flat iron steak, which, obviously, is not chicken. Nor does it "taste like chicken" as the saying goes. What they do taste like is delicious and they ARE fun to eat, like the inspiration dish. (IF you have not tried flat iron or flank steak, you must give it a try. It is lean and very economical.) I even invented a side dish to eat with them. You can add the slaw to the wrap, or eat it separately. You may also sprinkle this with dry roasted, chopped peanuts if desired, but we prefer it without.
Korean Style Beef Lettuce Wraps
3/4 lb. flank steak, trimmed
1/2 c. green onions, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 T. sugar
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. minced garlic
1 T. sesame oil
1-2 T. canola oil (divided)
1 T. toasted sesame seeds, optional
3 c. hot cooked rice leaf lettuce for wrapping, washed and dried, separated into individual leaves Asian Cole Slaw (recipe follows)
Cut steak across the grain into 1/4" slices and then cut them in half ( it helps to put the steak into the freezer for about 5 minutes before slicing -- this firms it up just a little). Combine steak, onions, sugar, soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil in a large bowl. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 1/2 - 1 T. canola oil, swirling to coat (you can use less oil if you use a nonstick pan, just make sure it's deep enough). Add half of steak mixture and stir fry until browned. Remove to a clean bowl. Add a little more canola oil and stir fry the rest of your beef/onion mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
Asian Cole Slaw
2 cups slaw mix ( I like the angel hair cut, but any will work) 1 green onion, thinly sliced 1 small cucumber, seeded, peeled and cut into "matchstick" pieces dressing mixture Make your dressing first: 1 tsp. sesame oil 1 tsp. canola oil 1. T. brown sugar 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar pinch of salt Combine those ingredients in a jar or small bowl and shake or whisk to combine. Pour over the vegetables and toss it all around, then let it sit for while at room temp. Stir it now and then to distribute dressing and coat the veggies.
To Assemble Wraps: Separate your lettuce leaves. Take one leaf, and spoon about 2 T. rice down the middle. Top with about 2 T. beef mixture and a spoonful or 2 of slaw, if desired. Roll your leaf and enjoy it. Makes about 8 filled lettuce leaves. 2 main dish servings or 4 appetizer servings. Each "leaf" contains approx. 100 cal. (without the slaw), 3 grams of fat and less than 1 gram of fiber.