[HOH Recipe Box]: Shishhhhhhh Kebabs

I won't try to tell you that skewering meat is a new concept. HOWEVER - when you're stuck in that proverbial culinary rut [as I find myself in from time to time], it's an easy way to incorporate a little *inexpensive* variety into your weekly menu.

Ingredients:

• 4 small boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 in. cubes
• 1 lb chuck shoulder steak/london broil, cut into 1 in. cubes
• marinade - any combination of soy sauce, barbecue sauce, sweet chili sauce, fresh herbs, etc.
• assorted vegetables - check what produce is on sale that week or what you happen to have hanging out in your fridge. i used 1/2 a vidalia onion, 1 small green bell pepper, 1/2 pt. grape tomatoes, 1/2 medium eggplant, and 6-8 medium sized crimini mushrooms

To Do:

1. Marinate meats separately in whatever sort of marinade you're into. I did a combination of sweet chili, soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, and a touch of mirin for the chicken thighs, and a bottled balsamic vinaigrette (*gasp!) for the steak. Whatever you choose, just make sure it packs a ton of flavor, you can't really over do it.
2. Large dice vegetables - about 1 in. square pieces.
3. To assemble skewers, I recommend keeping your proteins and vegetables separate from each other. So, do separate all chicken skewers, steak skewers, and mixed vegetable skewers instead of mixing it all together. Each of these have different cooking times and there's just no point in denying that.
4. Don't forget to season the skewers - a little salt and pepper before they go on the grill.
5. Grill on medium heat [275-300], turning periodically. Steak should take about 8-10 minutes, chicken and vegetable skewers will have similar times, about 15 minutes.

That's it! A little bit of prep and forethought required, but overall this is a delicious, simple, inexpensive [less than $5/person] way to mix up your weekly dinner routine. Pair with simple green salad and you're good to go.