Summer eats: Simple Kebabs

There are few things that I love more than the smell (and taste) of food on the BBQ in the summer. It is comforting in a way and brings me back to childhood when my dad would be grilling while we were all swimming or playing outside. 

I like to eat what is in season, and go to the grocery store and market often (sometimes too often-this is something I need to work on). My favourite thing about this recipe is that you can literally use just about any vegetable that you have on hand. You can serve these kebabs as a side, or add your favourite meat to make it the main dish.

This  is super simple dish to throw together and is on the table in less than 30 minutes. You can also prep these ahead of time and let everything marinate for a day in the fridge.

Recipe: 

1 Green pepper

1 Red pepper

1/2 of a red onion

15 mushrooms (or one container)

1/2 a container of cherry tomatoes

1 zucchini

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Liquid smoke (this is key- you can pick it up at almost any grocery store)

3 Tbsp Olive oil

2 Tbsp grainy or dijon mustard

1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped (or you can cheat and use the pre chopped from any store)

1 tsp onion powder 

1 tsp red chill flakes (optional) 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp italian seasoning

* note: Of the above ingredients, you can leave anything that you don't have out  of the recipe (but I highly recommend liquid smoke be used). If you don't have italian seasoning, you can substitute with basil, parsley, thyme, oregano or add any of the above. You can also omit or add in other veggies that are easily grilled like summer squash, yellow, orange, jalapeños,  poblano peppers or eggplant (just a few suggestions)

Optional proteins:

1 large or 2 small grilling steaks, cut into bite size cubes

1-2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes

2-3 pork chops, cut into cubes

Instructions:

Cut all of your peppers and onions into large bite size pieces, cut mushrooms in half, leave cherry tomatoes whole and place into a bowl. (You want everything to be around the same size so they will all take the same amount of time to grill). Next, add all of the seasoning to the veggies and stir until combined. 

If you are using a protein, season with salt and pepper liberally and cut into bite size pieces. Add the meat to your vegetable and stir together.

Place everything onto your skewers alternating vegetables and meat (if using) so that you have a variety of all the veggies on each skewer.  

Grill on medium heat for approx. 15-20 minutes until the veggies are soft and the meat is cooked to your liking. If using chicken, you may need to cook 20-25 minutes to ensure the chicken is cooked through.

*note: You can use wood, or metal skewers. I usually use wood (I need to invest in some metal ones). If you are using wood, you can soak your skewers in water so that the ends don't burn.

Recipe serves 3-4 people 

Serve immediately with your favourite summer side dish!