Shish Kabob, Baby!
The other day I had told my students in one of my classes that I had no idea what to make for dinner that night. One of my students who was a good cook suggested that I make shish kabob with coconut rice. This turned out to be such a good idea that I made it twice that week! The other thing that is fantastic about it is that its really quite easy.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
Kabob:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 green peppers or any color pepper - your choice
1 12oz box of white mushrooms
1/2 a medium sweet onion (or yellow if you like a more pungent onion flavor)
Shish Kabob skewers (soaked in water for at least 1 hr)
Marinade:
8 tbsp of soy sauce
3 tbsp of maple syrup
3 cloves of garlic, crushes and finely chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
Coconut Rice:
1 13.5 oz can of Goya Coconut Milk
1 1/4 cups of water
1 1/2 cups of Carolina Rice
1 tsp of sugar
Pinch of salt
What to do:
Make the marinade and get the chicken into absorb mode:
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk.
Pour over chicken in a large bowl and let marinade in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Start the rice:
Pour the coconut milk, water, sugar and salt into medium sized pot and stir until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved.
Rinse thoroughly the rice in a large strainer until the water passing through it runs clear.
Put the rinsed rice into the pot and stir to combine.
Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to very low, cover the rice at a slow simmer for 18 to 20 minutes.
Once time is up, remove from heat and leave covered until your ready to serve it.
The veggies:
Once the rice starts simmering, it's time to cut the veggies into 3/4 inch pieces. Put aside in fridge until the hour marinade time has completed.
Assembly:
Place the ingredients in front of you on a large table.
Retrieve the skewers from their soak, placing near the veggies and chicken.
Assemble the kabobs by skewering the veggies and chicken in rotation. I place the first piece at about 2 inches away from the end so as to make a handle for the kabob. I follow this order:
1) pepper
2) onion
3) mushroom
4) chicken.
Repeat until there's about an inch left open at the end of the skewer.
Place completed kabobs on a plate. This recipe makes about 10 kabobs with chicken and about 2-3 more simply veggies.
Put a grill pan over medium high heat for approx 5 minutes or until the pan just starts to smoke.
Drizzle Canoloa oil on the pan.
Carefully place the kabobs on the grill pan perpendicular to the pan's grid.
Drizzle some more Canola oil over the kabob, sprinkle some salt or your favorite rub over the kabob and drizzle some Worchestershire Sauce sparingly over the kabob. Sizzling will ensue.
After 5-7 min, carefull turn over the kabob to cook on the opposite side.
Let it cook for another 5-7 minutes.
At this point please check the chicken to make sure it is cooked. Some pieces may not be wide enough to engage the pan on boths sides. If this is the case, take those skewers and place them in the microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Recheck the chicken, if it appears to be done (internal temp needs to be 165o F. ) Place back on the pan for approx 1 min on each side to re-assert it's charred flavor and appearance.
At this point you are done!
Place some generous spoonfuls of rice on a plate and grab a couple of kabobs and place them over the rice.
Carefully remove the skewered pieces, place them over the rice and go to town on that monster!