Low
Calorie Grill Time!
Last
week we finally hopped into summer and in accord with this year’s temperamental
and unpredictable weather – we seemingly skipped spring. Unfortunately the black
flies and the mosquitoes stuck to their own calendar and thus there was no
relief there. Still, it is now summer and grills have been uncovered from their
winter hibernating places and we look forward to summertime cooking on the
grill.
However,
after the first few times of mouthwatering steaks, our brain is bound to
recollect some of the healthy eating advice in which meat does not constitute
the centerpiece of the meal. This brings us up to grilling meat together with
some vegetables or even fruit on a stick or skewer, or kebabs.
Since,
anticipation and planning are part of the enjoyment of food, I have been visualizing the variety of meals
that can be easily produced at home with the help of a combination of meat and
vegetables artfully arranged on a skewer for grilling.
Skewers
can be long or short and are usually made of either metal or wood. Metal
skewers can of course be reused for many meals. But, wooden skewers serve
equally well, provided they are soaked in water for at least 15 minutes before
use. Beef, lamb, chicken and shrimp
easily adapt to being cooked on a skewer, although each benefits by a marinade
and pairing of the meat with alternating pieces of different colorful
vegetables, depending of your taste. Do not pack the meat and vegetables too
tightly on the skewer, or it will not cook very quickly. Here are some
marinades and vegetable combinations that go especially well with individual
meats.
Rosemary chicken
kebabs
Stir
together: 1/3 cup red or white wine, ¼ cup olive oil, 1Tblsp. honey, 1 minced
garlic clove, 1Tblsp. Dijon mustard, 1 Tblsp. rosemary, ½ tsp. salt. Cut 1 lb
boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh meat in 2 inch pieces and marinate
at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Skewer with pieces of red pepper
and slices of yellow summer squash dipped in the marinade. Grill on medium heat
about 6-8 minutes on a side.
Beef or lamb kebabs
Stir
together: 1 cup red wine, 1Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tblsp. olive oil, 1
tsp. sugar, 1 ½ Tblsp. wine vinegar, 2 Tblsp. catsup, 2 minced garlic cloves, ½
tsp. dried thyme, ½ tsp. dried marjoram, ¾ tsp. salt. Marinate 2 inch cubes of
sirloin or lamb for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight in the
refrigerator. Skewer the meat with pieces of green pepper, zucchini, wedges of
at least 2 layers of red onion next to cherry tomatoes and mushrooms dipped in
the marinade. Grill on high heat 4-6 minutes to a side depending on the desired
level of rare meat.
Shrimp and sausage
kebabs
Stir
together: ½ cup light olive oil, 4 Tblsp. sherry or white wine vinegar, 2
minced garlic cloves, 2 Tblsp. fresh thyme, ¾ tsp. salt, 3 tsp. smoked paprika
(optional), ½ tsp. crushed red pepper. Marinate 12 peeled and deveined extra
large shrimp for an hour in the refrigerator.
Skewer the shrimp with alternate 2 layers of red onion next to a cherry
tomato, a cube of pineapple and 12 one inch pieces of cooked smoked sausage.
Grill on medium high heat until shrimp are pink and the onion browned on the
edges.
Chicken kebabs with
yoghurt
For
a Mediterranean flavor stir together: 3/4 cup plain whole yoghurt, 2 Tblsp.
olive oil, 1 Tblsp. grated onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 Tblsp. oregano. Marinate 2 inch pieces of chicken breast or
thigh meat 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Skewer the chicken with 2
layers of sweet onion pieces and grill about 6 minutes to a side. Serve with
pita bread or rice with cucumber-yoghurt sauce: 8 oz yoghurt, 1 peeled and
chopped small cucumber, 1 clove minced garlic, ¼ small onion chopped, 2 Tblsp.
chopped mint.
Each
one of these colorful skewers will make a delightful, easy and healthy meal
served with crusty bread and a salad. Welcome summer!
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the
author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the
Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
