Thanks to member Mariva Aviram (SF), writer, editor, and publisher of new media for this great summer recipe. This recipe works for the oven or the grill.
Ingredients
High Heat Components:
– cooking oil or spray
– 1 large or 2 small onions (red and/or yellow)
– 1 head garlic, peeled cloves
– 8 small red potatoes
– 1-3 bell peppers, any color(s)
– tomatoes, 2-3 large (plum, vine, or heirloom) or 8-12 small (cherry or grape) — slightly underripe or barely ripe
– 1 summer squash
– 1 zucchini
– peeled stem of 1 head broccoli
– optional: 1 eggplant, sliced or cubed, salted in a strainer for 30 minutes, and rinsed
– vegetarian options: cubed extra-firm tofu (1 package) and/or 1-2 vegetarian sausage, thickly sliced
Lower Heat Components: *
– 12 mushrooms (portobello pieces or whole button mushrooms)
– 1 head broccoli florets
– 8-12 stone fruits: apricots, nectarines, or peaches (slightly underripe or barely ripe)
– non-vegetarian options: 8-12 pieces shrimp and/or cubed fish, poultry, or beef
(* If singed, well-done mushrooms and stone fruit are preferred, follow the instructions for high heat components. Broccoli florets, shrimp, and fish should only be cooked using the lower-heat instructions. Poultry and beef can be cooked more rare or more well done, depending on preference.)
Marinade:
– olive oil — several tablespoons to coat components
– ketchup, tomato puree or paste, or barbecue sauce — 1/4 to 1/2 cup
– hot chili pepper sauce or sriracha sauce — a few tablespoons to taste
– optional: dijon mustard — a few tablespoons to taste
Tools:
– strainer for rinsing
– clean towel for drying rinsed produce
– chopping knife
– cutting board
– large bowl with cover
– large spoon for mixing
– 13″ x 9″ oven dish (not necessary for outdoor grill)
– four 14″ to 15″ shish kabob skewers
– cooling rack
– tongs
– optional: serving platter
Directions
– Prepare the components: Chop and slice the vegetables, vegetarian sausage, and stone fruit into large bite-size pieces. Prepare the shrimp if necessary. Cut the tofu, fish, or meat into large bite-size cubes.
– Put the components in a large bowl and add the olive oil, condiments, and sauces. Mix gently until all components are coated.
– Cover the bowl and refrigerate, allowing the components to marinate for at least one hour. (Overnight is even better.)
– Place the rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 500 degrees.
– Coat or spray the oven dish with cooking oil (for easier cleanup).
– Spear the marinated high-heat components onto 2 or 3 skewers, leaving an empty inch at the ends. (For aesthetics, alternate the components, such as one potato, one tomato, one bell pepper piece, one mushroom, one shrimp, etc.) Lay the full skewers lengthwise over the oven dish.
– Place the oven dish on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
– While the high-heat components are roasting, spear the marinated lower-heat components onto 1 or 2 skewers, leaving an empty inch at the end(s). Set the full skewer(s) aside in a convenient location.
– After the first 15 minutes are up for the high-heat components, reduce the heat to 400 degrees.
– Open the oven and remove the dish.
– (Optionally) rotate the hot skewers so that the bottoms of the components are now facing up.
– Lay the full lower-heat skewer(s) lengthwise over the oven dish.
– Return the dish to the oven and roast all the skewers for (another) 15 minutes.
– Remove oven dish from oven and place on cooling rack.
– Cool for 5-10 minutes.
– Using tongs or a fork, gently slide the roasted components off the skewers onto plates — or serve intact kabob skewers from a platter.
Note: For outdoor grill, no oven dish is necessary. Simply place the full skewers with high-heat components directly onto a hot grill and roast over a hot flame for 15 minutes. Reduce the flame, rotate the hot skewers, and place the skewers with lower-heat components directly onto the grill. Roast all the skewers for (another) 15 minutes.
(Recommendation: Although well-balanced shish kabobs can be a full meal, they can also be served with a complex carbohydrate, like roasted corn on the cob; cooked brown rice, grains, or whole-grain pasta; or whole-wheat pita bread with hummus.)