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Monday, May 9, 2011

Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabobs



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Skewered meat is one of those foods that has crisscrossed borders and been assimilated into the cuisine of many countries. We think that kabobs were originally a Turkish dish that consisted of pieces of marinated and skewered lamb that were grilled over a charcoal fire. Food historians believe the kabob's origins can be traced to a shortage of fuel in the Near East that made cooking large pieces of meat difficult. We know the word is Persian in origin and Arabic oral tradition infers it was the creation of Persian soldiers who used their swords to grill meat over battlefield fires. Now, here comes the kind of trouble that delights revisionists. Excavations on the Greek island of Santorini, have uncovered the stone sets of barbecue for skewers that were used before the 17th century BCE. That's mighty early and makes some of those earlier claims suspect. So, to be on the safe side, and keep all my friends, I'm going to attribute the creation of kabobs to the region rather than a country.These days, not much escapes the skewer and kabobs can be found in places as disparate as Greece and Thailand. Wherever they appear, they are a favorite food of locals who can't seem to get enough of them. The kabob is usually made with chunks of meat but it can also be made with meatballs or appropriately trimmed vegetables. We have spent the last few days in an area not known for fine dining. So, to assure decent meals we brought the fixings for ours with us. That involved some planning because my idea of an escape does not involve hours in the kitchen. This holiday there would be nothing on the table that couldn't be thrown in the oven or tossed on the grill. The hamper, of course, included kabobs. These make for a wonderful quick meal and they are delicious if you remember to grill the vegetables separately from the meat. If you try to combine both on the same skewer you'll have a hot mess on your hands. The vegetables will start to burn long before the meat is table ready. This recipe is a variation of one that was developed for Williams Sonoma. It is really pleasant and can be served over couscous or rice. Tzatziki is a nice accompaniment. I think you like this. Here's the recipe.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabobs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from a Williams Sonoma recipe

Ingredients:
Chicken
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Optional Vegetables
Juice of 1 lemon lemon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

Directions:
1) To prepare chicken: In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Add chicken and stir to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
2) To prepare grill, plank and skewers: Soak a cedar plank in water according to package instructions. Prepare a medium fire in a grill and heat plank. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water to cover for at least 20 minutes.
3) To prepare vegetables: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside. Thread onion and bell pepper onto skewers, alternating pieces and dividing them equally. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Thread chicken onto separate skewers, taking care not to pack pieces too tightly.
4) To grill: Lay skewers on warm plank. Brush vegetables with olive oil-lemon juice mixture. Close lid and cook until chicken is opaque throughout and the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer skewers to a warmed platter and serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.







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84 comments:

  1. Oh Mary....This is SOOOOO my kind of dish! YUM!

    Thanks for sharing!

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  2. A delicious and easy dish Mary; these look perfectly cooked.
    These will be on my menu this week as our weather is supposed tp be very warm. I'd rather grill outside when the temps are hot.

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  3. ohh i think i would love this! the chicken looks so tender and filled with flavour too!!

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  4. These look delicious! Where are you anyway? Have you already started your big trip? I also checked out those eggs florentine. I had missed youterday's post about the cake and your mom, and just read that. It was so touching...

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  5. Mary, I love your food history! What great thing to know. I think "necessity is the mother of invention". And that many peoples might have come up with this idea on their own.
    I am making these. Look for them "On the Menu at StoneGable" week of May 16th with a link back to this delicious post!
    Yvonne

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  6. You're a special person and you do great things! I'm glad that discovered you!

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  7. Absolutely love this. Chicken is one of my favorite things to eat and this looks so good. Loved the little history lesson, too. :)

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  8. Hi Mary,

    I'd really like to make this, but we don't own a grill. Is it possible to make these in the oven? And how long would you recommend?

    Thanks,

    Jules

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  9. Its interesting that you guys call it kabobs - we call it kebabs. Different name same outcome - delicious:)

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  10. This looks perfect--light and lemony, I love a good kabob. ;-)

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  11. So many ethnicities share a skewered meat specialty...and Greek and Turkish food have so much in common. I have eaten this dish many times in Greece... it's basically the only time I ever eat chicken because the chicken tastes funny to me here in the US. :-/

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  12. Yumm, would like to have those kabobs rite now,simply inviting..

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  13. Mary this looks right up my street. All the flavours I like and I love kabobs. Diane

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  14. Lemon and garlic... Love it! They look fantastic, Mary. I just came home from the supermarket and bought some boneless chicken thighs... this inspires me to try some Kababs... Thanks for the inspiration and the beautiful post! :)

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  15. It looks really delicious!!!
    The presentation is also a delight!

    Kisses
    Rita

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  16. thank you for the interesting history behind this dish :)

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  17. Wow, cool!
    My stomach is rumbling and my mouth is salivating.

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  18. Adding lemon flavor is really nice! It seems like you were busy cooking delicious meals this weekend. :-)

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  19. Oooh, I love middle eastern food! This is going on the next dinner menu :)

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  20. These look so delicious Mary. I just received a copy of a cookbook by a blogger where everything is made on a stick. No matter what the origins it is definitely one of the best inventions.

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  21. These are a nice little meal ready in no time... One of my favorite for summertime.

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  22. Yes... count me in for this I love Lemon and chicken! So yummm...

    Have a happy week!

    http://jennaleelac.blogspot.com/

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  23. Yum! This would be a perfect addition to my list of recipes to pull out when my husband invites people over for a picnic last minute, which happens rather frequently during the summer. Thanks for sharing!

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  24. Very nice bit about skewered meat history. This chicken looks delicious garlic and lemon are a good combination for chicken. Enjoy your vacation.

    ~Brenda

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  25. Kebob origins? Who cares? Your recipes? Everyone cares. Fire, meat, yumm!

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  26. These are some of the most beautiful kabobs I have ever seen! To me...food on a stick is just perfect! Delicious and perfect for summer parties!

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  27. I love that not only do you share such wonderful recipes with us, but you always give the background on it!! Thank you :) The kabobs sound delicious, can't wait to try them!

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  28. They look wonderful! Thanks for another masterpiece.

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  29. Interesting facts about kabobs, though over here we call it "kebabs".
    Looks really delicious, I could eat many skewers of this! Thanks for sharing this lovely dish!

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  30. Mmmm, this looks great, perfect for an outdoor meal or BBQ party. Interesting that countries are still arguing about the origin of kabobs...

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  31. Wow, what a gorgeous shot. This really makes me want to fire up the grill and do kebabs now...!

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  32. Wow...my fav and a very delicious recipe....

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  33. What a great way to cook chicken. This sounds delicious.

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  34. Thanks for the history lesson. You're right, kabobs/skewered meat occur in so many different ethnic cuisines that it's hard to know where it started first. But in general, when you think about cooking over fire it makes senses that many cultures would have discovered this eventually.

    Your version looks fantastic.

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  35. I love kebobs! Chicken , lamb or beef! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

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  36. OHooooo, these look SO delicious, lovely ingredients, they look perfect, I might try these tonight!
    Thanks so much for this
    Mary

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  37. Beautiful recipe, Mary! I so agree about putting the veggies and the meat on separate kabobs. Strangely, most people do not do this. It is not hard to figure out. They do look prettier on the skewers in different colors, but they just don't cook correctly.

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  38. These look like the perfect grilling season chicken dish. Yum!

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  39. These look so delicious and the flavors look so fresh and wonderful. I am honored that you enjoy reading my blog since that is coming from someone with years of blogging experience and a massive blog fan base. Thanks so much for your support!

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  40. This just make me drool...looks so yummy and delicious!

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  41. Great background info! I always enjoy reading where food comes from and who was the genius to create it. Nice leg work :) The recipe is stellar as well. Very tasty and my kind of quick meal! Thanks for sharing

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  42. Those look yummy, my Kabobs never seem to turn out correctly, they are dry! I will give this recipe a try tho, I love the sauce on the side!

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  43. I love the fresh lemony flavor on these kebabs! Absolutely delicious and definitely the perfect bbq food...no matter where they originated from!

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  44. Wow, these are so pretty. Dinner tonight? I think yes.

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  45. Wonderful flavor...I don't know why...but meat on a stick is just more fun. ;)

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  46. Your chicken chunks married so beautifully together

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  47. Mary these chicken kebabs look so yummy and healthy too! Can't wait to try them.

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  48. We call it KABAB with an "a", at least this is how we spell it where I come from. Maybe, in Turkey, they spell it differently. Really delicious, I can eat kabab everyday, spring, winter, summer etc...
    Have a great day Mary,
    Cheers

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  49. must make this an after lunch stop. as a before lunch stop it takes a couple of perfect bites of work related focus. then again, i shouldn't be playing at the moment anyway. sssshhh. yum.

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  50. Mmm, I love kebabs, we made beef with cherry toms, onions, green peps, and mushrooms over the weekend and my husband made a marinade that was out of this world - YUM! Thanks for sharing:)

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  51. Hi Mary. Thank you for visiting my blog. I think your blog is wonderful. These chicken kabobs had my mouth watering just by the picture. Very nice! I can't wait to explore your site more. : ) - Ramona

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  52. Wow.. this looks really great. I will have to try this recipe soon. Great post Mary! I will definitely follow your blog!

    -Jessica Imperial

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  53. Kabobs are always a favorite of ours, Mary. Serving these with tzatziki would make me think of Santorini, too! Perfect over some couscous.

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  54. These look wonderful and juicy, a must make.

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  55. Mary, This looks wonderful. This would be great party food. Yummmm

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  56. Very tasty and great for the warmer months.

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  57. Thankk you for sharing this recipe; my quest is to find new recipes for our new BBQ. This one will a great one.Thank you.
    Rita

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  58. The kebabs look fabulous, love the lemon and garlic combo!

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  59. I've never met a kabob I didn't like!! Especially with lamb :)

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  60. I really like so simple and delicious dishes. chiken, lemon and garlic is in my opinion a perfect trio! Love your food history, it's magical.

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  61. I never make ka-bobs the same way twice - so this will get done. Simply and lightly flavored - what is it about lemon and garlic? I mean, they're just so doggone perfect together!

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  62. I am about to be off to check out the eggs Florentine! I love that you pack your basket to have delicious and wonderful food no matter where you travel, Mary! Oh, what a lucky family! blessings ~ tanna

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  63. Oh Mary, I'm so happy you found my blog, now I know where to come to get some great looking recipes! That chicken dish looks scrumptious!

    Nancy

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  64. The weather is supposed to be beautiful this week, so I'm thinking these will be absolutely perfect! The kabobs look so flavorful!

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  65. These look amazing... and so well flavored!

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  66. This looks so delicious. I can't wait for those summer bbqs.

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  67. Mouthwatering! Thanks for the tip about skewering veggies separately!

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  68. Kabobs looks awesoem. Love all the flavors there.

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  69. Chicken kebabs are one of my new favorite things and yours look absolutely amazing!

    Sues

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  70. I cannot believe how exquisite that looks! Thank you very much for sharing and have a great week!

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  71. This is definitely something I wanted to make. Hope you're having a great day, Mary. Btw, I'm sure you had a fabulous time on last weekend. Happy Belated Mother's day to you.
    Blessings, Kristy

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  72. Thank you for the inspiration! I think I am going to try that lemon-garlic parley combination over the couscous I just bought. Thank you also for your very sweet comment. It made me smile down to my heart :)

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  73. i love chicken kabobs! well, kabobs in general for that matter...your eggs Florentine from last year looks yummy too!

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  74. Looks fabulous ... love to have a bite. Thanks for a worth-to-keep recipe!

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  75. Hi Mary,
    This is a great recipe, just in time for the outdoor season. We will really enjoy your recipe this summer. Thanks for sharing and hope you have a great week!

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  76. I made this tonight, Mary, with just a few minor alterations. Instead of parsley I added oregano, and instead of kebobs (no BBQ), I marinated whole skinless/boneless chicken breasts from Trader Joe's, overnight, and grilled them on the stove top in my new grill pan.

    FABULOUS!!! And Weight Watcher's friendly!! It is going into regular rotation!! Thank you so much for this!!

    Jules

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  77. I made these kabobs tonight and they were delicious! The entire family enjoyed them. Thank you!

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  78. Mary, it's a year later. I make these chicken kabobs a lot. With the orchard, garden, and now 200 malbec grapes that we planted last weekend over 4 days, our favorite dishes get made over and over. Maybe one day I will add the vegetables. I also cook them on my castiron grill indoors. Just thought you might want to know.

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  79. I tried this recipe on my new grill i got as a gift from my wife Kabobeque BBQ Grills.
    the kabobs came out amazing, they were juicy, soft and flavorful. A++ recipe

    The grill i got automatically rotates 13 skewers, so this kabob recipe was a fast n fun thing.
    check out the kabobs how they look
    Kabobeque

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  80. If I cook these on the grill and do not use a plank, will that make my chicken dry?

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  81. I check your all recipes I am searching for Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup. Do you have any recipe on this?

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  82. Great recipe. It reminds me so much of my favorite kebab from El Greco. They have the best kebab, salad and rotisserie chicken that is guilt-free and healthy to eat. They even have some special offers.

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