Beef and Coconut
Satays
Makes about 20 6-inch skewers. Recipe
easily doubles
10 ounces lean ground beef
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for grilling
20 6-inch wooden skewers or toothpicks
In
a bowl, combine the ground beef, coconut, soy sauce, molasses, ginger,
lime juice, salt, turmeric, pepper and the 2 tablespoons of vegetable
oil. Mix with your hands to combine the ingredients.
With
lightly moistened hands, roll 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture around a
bamboo skewer into a 6-inch long strip about 1/3 inch thick. Repeat
until all of the meat mixture is used up.
Light a grill. When
the fire is hot, oil the grill. Arrange the skewers at the edge of the
grill (so they don't burn) and cook the sates, turning often, until the
meat is lightly charred and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve
at once. Alternatively, place skewers on a broiler pan and
cook until meat is done and lightly charred.
Vegetable
Kebabs with Greek Marinade
Makes about 15 6-inch kebabs
MARINADE
4 garlic cloves -- minced
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon oregano -- chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
KEBABS
1 large red bell pepper -- cut into 1-inch dice
1 medium sweet onion -- cut lengthwise into 4 wedges
2 small zucchini -- cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 pound boiled small potatoes
Wooden skewers or toothpicks
For the marinade, stir all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
To
make the kebabs: Light a grill. Thread the vegetables onto
skewers. Brush generously with the marinade and cook over a medium-hot
fire, basting a few times with the additional marinade, until the
vegetables are tender and lightly charred, about 4 minutes per side.
Alternatively, place kebabs on a broiler pan. Broil
until
vegetables are tender and lightly charred
Lamb
Skewers with Grainy Mustard Dipping Sauce
Serves about 15 as an appetizer. Recipe
easily doubles
LAMB
AND MARINADE
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons red wine
2 tablespoons rosemary leaves
2 garlic cloves -- smashed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 pound boneless trimmed lamb loin -- halved lengthwise
MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
3 tablespoons crème fraîche OR 3 tablespoons heavy
cream
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
Cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Wooden skewers or toothpicks
In
a blender or mini-processor, combine the vegetable oil, onion, wine,
rosemary, garlic and Dijon mustard and blend until smooth. Transfer the
marinade to a resealable plastic bag, add the lamb and refrigerate
overnight.
In a small bowl, combine the whole-grain mustard,
créme fraiche, honey and a pinch each of cayenne and black pepper;
whisk until smooth.
Remove the lamb from the bag and scrape off
the marinade. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Season the lamb with
salt and black pepper, add it to the skillet and cook over high heat
until browned, about 3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Transfer
the lamb to a cutting board, cover with foil and let stand for 10
minutes.
Thinly slice the lamb, fold the pieces and spear them
on wooden picks. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately with the
mustard dipping sauce.
Cumin
Scented Moroccan Kebabs with Minted Yogurt Dip
Makes about 20, estimate
about 3
pieces
per guest. Recipe easily doubles
3/4 pound
lean ground lamb
1 medium onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
grated zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For
Dip
3/4
cup whole-milk yogurt (not
light or fat-free)
1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
20 6-inch wooden skewers
presoaked in water
Place lamb,
onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, lemon, cilantro, salt and cayenne in a
food
processor. Pulse until combined and slightly pasty.
Divide into
about 20 equal sized pieces and with wet hands, roll into oval,
tube-like
shapes.
Thread 1
shaped piece of meat on to each presoaked skewer. Cover and
refrigerate
for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile
make the dip. Combine yogurt, mint, parsley, and
lemon. Add salt and
cayenne to taste. Cover and chill of 30 minutes to allow the
flavors to
blend.
Preheat
broiler. Broil kebabs until browned but still pink and juicy
inside, about
3 minutes per side.
Serve hot
with chilled dip
helpful
hints
Lamb may be
substituted
with any type of
ground meat.
If you do not like
mint, omit and use a little more parsley
If using ground beef or pork, use a salsa or cheese sauce for the dip
make
ahead
Prepare, shape
and
freeze lamb ovals up
to 1 month in advance. Allow to thaw slightly before
cooking.
Cooking time may need to be increased by 1 minute or so.
Skewered
Shrimp Marinated in Lime-and-Basil Vinaigrette
Makes 36, recipe easily doubles or
triples
36 medium shrimp
3/4 cup lime juice (from about 6 limes)
3 tablespoons grainy mustard
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
10 scallions, including green tops, sliced thinly
18-36
6-inch wooden skewers
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the shrimp until just
done, about 2 minutes. Drain
immediately. Peel shrimp when cooled. In a medium
bowl, whisk the lime juice with the mustard, sugar and salt.
Add the oil slowly, whisking. Stir in the basil and
scallions.
Depending
on the size of the shrimp, thread 1-2 shrimp onto each skewer. Pour the
vinaigrette into a
shallow bowl. Add the shrimp, with the ends of the skewers sticking out
of the bowl.
make
ahead
Cook the shrimp up to 1 day in advance.
Do not peel. Keep covered and
chilled. Prepare marinade up to 1 day in advance. Cover
tightly and refrigerate.
Prepare shrimp in marinade up to 3 hours before serving. Keep
chilled
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See 
1
boneless,
skinless whole chicken breast, cut into approximately 20 1-inch cubes