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

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Is there anything better than some homemade chicken noodle soup? Especially on a chilly, rainy Sunday, what could be better than smelling stock simmering and standing by the dreary view outside the kitchen window, chopping veggies and herbs? Even if cooking is not your favorite thing, making soup is a truly therapeutic exercise, I promise!  If you can't be down in the Bahamas, soaking up the sun, you may as well make some liquid sunshine.

It's said in my family that I have a "way with a chicken", but in all fairness, I must confess that my Grandmother Rosie had a "way with a chicken" and that she passed it onto her daughter, my dear, sweet Aunt Cissy, who taught it to me. Chicken soup is best made with love, and patience, and that's the secret. Next time you need a little sunshine in your life, try this, your family will love you for it.



Chicken Noodle Soup

 First, make your stock:
1 2-3 lb.+ chicken
water
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 medium peeled onion
2 ribs of washed celery, leafy tops included
1 medium carrot, scrubbed
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
Put your chicken into a large, deep stockpot and cover it completely with water. If your chicken has the neck and giblets inside, put those into the water also, after rinsing well. Add the garlic, onion, celery, and carrot. Bring the pot to a boil and add in the rosemary, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Turn this down to medium low and cover. Boil gently for at least one to one and a half hour, until the chicken is cooked through. The chicken is done when the legs can be wiggled easily and the juices run clear when it is pierced with a long fork at the fullest part of the breast.

Remove the chicken and all the vegetables and set them aside to cool. At this point, you can strain your liquid, which my aunt always did. I don't, it's ok with me if the broth is a little cloudy, but she liked hers nice and clear. It is simply a matter of preference!

Next, make your soup.
1/2 c. dry white wine
3 cups water
2 tsp. kosher salt
a little fresh ground black pepper
1 minced clove garlic
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced up (you may omit this or substitute fresh thyme)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
3 ribs celery, sliced thinly
2 large yellow squash, quartered and sliced into small pieces (don't cut them too thin)
Into your broth, add all your ingredients and bring this to a boil. Turn it down, and let it cook another hour, until the vegetables are tender. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. The noodles will soak up a lot of salt so I always add at least 1 more tsp. I like the taste of kosher salt in this recipe, it's a little "softer".
While the veggies are cooking, skin the chicken and cut off all of the meat. Chop it up into bite sized pieces. You'll need at least 3 cups of cooked chicken. (If you have more, save it and make some chicken salad the next day -- that's what I am doing!)
To the soups add:
8 oz. wide egg noodles
Bring the soup back to a boil and boil at least another 20 minutes.
(NOTE: If you want that super clear broth, cook your noodles separately, and then add them into the soup fully cooked. This is what my aunt did to ensure that perfectly clear broth. She often made her own egg noodles, which are delicious, but one heck of a lot more work!)
LASTLY, add the cooked chicken back into the soup and cook very gently for about 10 minutes. At  this point, you can remove the soup from the heat and refrigerate it to serve when you want, but the noodles will continue to soak up more broth. If you want to make ahead and serve later, you will need to add another 2 - 3 cups of water before serving.
Serve with some warm bread and have a wonderful dinner. This soup will serve at least 6, and you'll have a big bowl or 2 leftover for lunches or another dinner!
It's a little trouble, but well worth effort!

Liquid Bowl of Sunshiney Love

Sweeeet Corn and Other Vegetables...plus a little family wisdom!

The other day I was in the grocery store shucking some corn over the trash bin, and a lady asked me how I cooked corn. She said, "You boil it, I guess? I've been grilling it and I don't have much luck with that." I replied that no, I don't grill it or boil it, I microwave it....and she looked so puzzled that I had to explain. After doing so she asked me HOW to pick out the best cobs, so that the corn would be sweet and tender, and not tough and stringy. After that conversation, I thought that maybe I ought to blog these simple cooking and selecting tips, because maybe not everyone knows about this stuff.



I was blessed to grow up in a family with 2 grandmothers who were wonderful cooks, who had raised their families during the depression (the one in the 1930's, not the more recent "recessions"). Having done that gave an added dimension to their cooking: Both of them could turn out a delicious meal at almost no cost. Picking out the very best of the season was second nature to them. Both Bessie and Rosie had it down to a science! Here's a picture of the two fabulous ladies, at the my parents wedding reception. That's Rosie on the right and Bessie on the left, flanked by my parents:

Notice the champagne! This was a party all the way! And don't my parents look young and glamorous?? However, I digress....Here is the first rule of thumb that the ladies passed on to me, regarding fresh veggies and fruit: The heavier the fruit, the better, the lighter the vegetable, the better. Now, remember, technically tomatoes are fruit, so the heavier the better, and this rule does not really include starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, beans, and corn. "Lighter is better" especially applies to leafy green vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, kale etc. If you think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense. A light apple would probably mean it did not have much moisture in it, so therefore not too juicy. A heavy head of lettuce would mean it has a big center core, and not as many tender leaves.

Back to corn...for the best tasting corn, you want smaller rather than larger kernels on the cob, with no visible sign of drying. I like to cook it in the microwave, in about an inch of water with a little sugar sprinkled into the water. Adding salt at this point will toughen it. Pick a wide shallow dish with a glass lid, preferably.
Put the lid on and microwave it for 6 minutes. Remove the pan, rotate the corn so the other side is immersed and cook for about 3 - 6 minutes more, depending on how much corn you have in your pan and how strong your microwave is. I promise you will produce sweet, juicy delicious corn on the cob, just the way grandma used to serve it. Hey, and before you think, NO WAY did her grandmothers have a microwave, YOU ARE RIGHT, but hey, we all grow and learn, don't we? And what they did teach me was how to cook!