Grilled Chicken & Beef Kabobs

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

Spring is in full bloom! (Finally…) And everywhere you go the smell of people grilling food fills the air. Makes me hungry 24/7.

We LOVE to grill. We have been known to pull the Weber out into the snow mid January because we simply MUST have that char-grilled steak. But spring/summer-time grilling is by far the best. Beautiful weather, standing outside with a cool drink in your hand and the sun on your face, that smell of charcoal in the air. It makes you happy to be alive!

We whipped these kabobs up the other night for a group of friends who stopped by unexpectedly. This happens often so the use of the word “unexpectedly” is probably being used incorrectly in this case but we really were not planning for 10.

Grilled Chicken & Beef Kabobs (serves 10)

Your neighbors will want to join the party when you’re grilling Chicken & Beef Kabobs

CHICKEN MARINADE:

• 2-3 chicken breast halves, cut into 2″ cubes
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic minced
• squeeze of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1″ ginger grated
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Mix all ingredients except the chicken together.

Place cubes chicken on skewers leaving room between each piece and place in marinade. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Grill over hot coals till chicken internal temperature is 165°

BEEF MARINADE:

• 2 pounds of sirloin, cut into 2″ cubes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple vinegar
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients except the beef together.

Place cubes of beef on skewers leaving room between each piece and place in marinade. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Grill over hot coals till beef is done to your liking.

These Grilled Veggies are delicious on their own or with the Chicken & Beef Kabobs!

Note: We do not skewer the veggies with the meat. Why? Because they cook slower. Yep. I said it. Slower. And unless you like your veggies somewhat raw I suggest you skewer them separately, or toss them in a grill pan (greatest invention EVER) over the hot coals.

GRILLED VEGGIES:

• Every veggie you like (about 3 pounds worth)
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Roughly chop up your veggies and place in a large bowl. Pour on some olive oil, add some salt and pepper or even your favorite seasoning mix. Toss to coat. Grill till done to your liking.

Enjoy a nice cool drink while enjoying this delicious meal with good friends.

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Beer Battered Fried Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups beer
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 1 carrot, cut into thick strips
• 1 onion, sliced into rings
• 6 fresh mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced in rings

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cup flour and beer with a wooden spoon; let stand for at least 3 hours at room temperature.
2. Mix eggs and milk in a small bowl. In a separate bowl mix together 1/2 cup flour and salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Dip each vegetable in the egg and milk mixture. Next dip the vegetable into the flour and seasoning mixture, finally dip the vegetable in the beer and flour mixture. Place the vegetables into the oil and fry until golden brown,

Stuffed Tomatoes

• 4 large tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup couscous
• 1/4 cup shredded nonfat mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degree C).
2. Cut the fresh tomatoes crosswise in half and scoop out the pulp; set aside. Invert the tomato shells on paper towels to drain.
3. In a small saucepan, bring the broth and sun-dried tomatoes to a boil. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the couscous. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the cheese, basil, mint and pepper. Then gently stir in the tomato pulp.
5. Place the tomato shells in an 11×7 inch baking dish. Spoon the couscous mixture into the shells, pressing the mixture firmly into the shells. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

• 2 thinly sliced sweet potatoes
• 3 Tbsp. Parmesan Grated Cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees

Place potatoes in a large bowl and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp. grated cheese and toss to coat.

Spread potatoes into a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (spray with additional spray after potatoes are laid out).

Bake for 9 minutes and turn potatoes for an additional 9 minutes. Spray potatoes with additional cooking spray and return to the oven. Turn the oven off and let the potatoes stand inside the closed oven for 8 – 10 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Remove from oven and toss with remaining grated cheese topping.

Creamy Veggie Fondue

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together milk, white wine, Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and cream cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, until melted, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in green onions, spinach, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and black pepper. Continue cooking until all ingredients are well blended, about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer mixture to a double boiler or fondue pot to keep warm while serving.

Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup halved and thinly-sliced radishes
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a jellyroll pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Pat crescent roll dough into a jellyroll pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Pierce with fork.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, let cool.
4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, dill weed, garlic salt and ranch dip mix. Spread this mixture on top of the cooled crust. Arrange the onion, carrot, celery, broccoli, radish, bell pepper and broccoli on top of the creamed mixture. Cover and let chill. Once chilled, cut it into squares and serve.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Apples

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, sliced
• 1 apple – peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• ground cinnamon to taste
• white sugar to taste
• 1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill.
2. In a bowl, toss the sweet potato and apple slices with the cinnamon and sugar. Divide the mixture into 4 portions, places each on a large piece of aluminum foil. Top each with an equal amount of butter. Tightly seal foil around each portion.
3. Place foil packets on the grill, and cook 40 minutes, turning every 5 to 10 minutes, until potatoes and apples are tender.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

• 6 ears corn
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.
2. Peel back corn husks and remove silk. Place 1 tablespoon butter, salt and pepper on each piece of corn. Close husks.
3. Wrap each ear of corn tightly in aluminum foil. Place on the prepared grill. Cook approximately 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until corn is tender.

Spicy Taco Cheese Ball

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup dried parsley
• 4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package hot taco seasoning mix (such as McCormick®)
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped

Directions

1. Sprinkle parsley in a shallow baking dish. Set aside.
2. Mix Mexican cheese blend, cream cheese, mayonnaise, taco seasoning, and jalapeno peppers in a large bowl until well blended. Divide the mixture into 3 portions, and roll each portion into a ball. Roll each ball in the parsley until completely covered. Wrap individually with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Cucumber and Avocado Sushi

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked glutinous white rice (sushi rice)
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 sheets nori (dry seaweed)
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin strips
• 1 avocado – peeled, pitted and sliced

Directions

1. Combine the water and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside to cool.
2. Cover a bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap to keep the rice from sticking. Place a sheet of seaweed over the plastic. Use your hands to spread the rice evenly onto the sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch of seaweed empty at the bottom. Arrange strips of cucumber and avocado across the center of the rice. Lift the mat and roll over the vegetables once and press down. Unroll, then roll again towards the exposed end of the seaweed sheet to make a long roll. You may moisten with a little water to help seal. Set aside and continue with remaining nori sheets, rice and fillings.
3. Use a sharp wet knife to slice the rolls into 5 or 6 slices. Serve cut side up with your favorite sushi condiments.