I love to cook, that is not a surprise to anyone who knows me (Brian). I don’t love to spend a lot of time cooking usually (though I do believe that making a wonderful, intricate recipe can also be very cathartic in the right time and place). This recipe from the Baking Beauties at Faithfully Gluten Free is simply my all time favorite marinade. I call it dump marinade because it has a little bit of everything in, you can dump in any protein you want, and it will come out amazing. Kabobs are a challenge to me. It is difficult to get everything done together without burning the more delicate items, hence the second dump of this recipe, where I just throw it all on the grill and forget the skewer!
First the marinade: Put into a gallon resealable bag put 1/4 t dried rosemary (I didn’t carry rosemary in the RV this time so substituted dried oregano and it worked just fine), 1/2 t each of dried parsley, garlic powder, and black pepper, 1 t stone ground mustard, 1 T each balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, and 2 T olive oil. WOW that’s a lot of ingredients! Now throw in about a pound of your favorite protein. We love this with chicken thighs (in the pictures) but beef works well too (or country style pork ribs, chops, or an old tire, seriously this marinade tastes that good!). A note on gluten free: soy sauce is one of those items with hidden gluten in it, always make sure to check labels of sauces and condiments to ensure they are safe if you or someone you are cooking for can’t have gluten.
Let the meat marinade for at least two hours. I put the meat in the marinade the night before but we ended up eating out the next day so I just threw the whole thing in the freezer. A week later, I took the bag out one evening and cooked it up the next day, it was still perfect!
Even the smallest potatoes take forever to cook on a grill. Here’s a great tip stolen from the Baking Beauties: cook them in the microwave first! I put them in and hit the potato button, they always come out a little under done, but then the time on the grill with the other raw veggies, and they are perfect! (Too many explantation points in this post, but I really love this recipe!)
We always add onions and mushrooms at minimum when we cook this meal but bell pepper, asparagus, zucchini, and summer squash are also great additions. Cut your veggies into largish bite sized pieces. The less dense the vegetables are, the bigger the pieces should be so they hold up. Here’s another tip for the mushrooms: if you cut it in half and find lots of dark fins (especially common in portobello), scoop them out with a spoon or knife because they are bitter and turn mushy when cooked.
If you are assembling kabobs, layer meat, potatoes, and veggies (obviously not the asparagus, but if you get one on a skewer, please put a picture in the comments, haha) onto a wooden or metal skewers. Don’t forget that wooden skewers should always be soaked in water for 30 minutes first to keep them from catching on fire. I like the metal ones because they help to cook the food from the inside a little too.
I don’t like to take the time to thread skewers most of the time, so I toss all the veggies together, drizzle with some oil and salt and pepper and toss ’em on the grill.
If you use foil, poke a few holes so the juices run out – you want crispy browned edges, not a soggy mess.
Once the veggies get going, put the meat on the grill and cook to your desired degree of doneness.
YUM!! BTW, thats a little bit of ranch dip on the side. It’s amazing on the potatoes!
Easy Chicken (or Steak) “Kabobs”
For the marinade:
- 1/4 t dried rosemary (or other dried herb such as oregano or basil)
- 1/2 t dried parsley
- 1/2 t garlic powder
- 1/2 t ground pepper
- 1 t stone ground or dijon mustard
- 1 T balsamic vinegar
- 1 T soy sauce or tamari sauce
- 1 T Worcestershire sauce
- 2 T olive oil
For the grill:
- 1 lb chicken thighs or marinating beef
- 1 lb of small potatoes (red or Yukon)
- Optional bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, etc.
Mix all of the marinade ingredients into a resealable plastic bag and smoosh them around to make sure everything is mixed. Add the meat and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Soak wooden skewers in water to keep them from catching on fire.
Cook the potatoes in the microwave until almost completely done. Cut other veggies into similar sized pieces.
Thread all of the ingredients onto skewers and discard used marinade or…
Place veggies in a bowl and drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper. DO NOT put used marinade onto the veggies, as tempting as they may be. No one wants a side of salmonella with their dinner!
Place kabobs onto a medium high grill and turn every few minutes until done or…
Place veggies on grill and toss occasionally to keep searing fresh sides without burning. Place meat along side and turn after about 3-5 minutes.
Serve immediately with a cold beer and enjoy!
Lovely recipe 🙂