In an effort to save a little money by not going out to eat on Saturday night, I came up with the idea of kebabs! It's been a while since I've had them. And I don't know why, but something about putting food on a stick makes it a fun meal. I guess because you can customize it and then watch it cook and then take it off the stick and have a big pile of goodness on your plate, freshly grilled. Yes, that is why it is fun. My original thought for the evening was to do a theme. Caribbean with kebabs and mixed drinks. That went down the tube when we opted for non caribbean marinades and beer rather than mixed drinks, but it was fun nonetheless.
Why TWO marinades? Well - simple. I narrowed the choices for marinades down to three and asked Derek (while on his computer) - which one he thought we should have...
...
.....
.......
no response. (SURPRISE, the story of my life - what is it about men and their total lack of multi-tasking skills while entrenched in the technology filled virtual world...void of real human connection and interaction)
Therefore, I chose two (one was easy to throw out, I wasn't really in the mood for a soy sauce-based one). And here is our creation.
Our Saturday Night Kebabs:
Rib-Eye Steak
Vegetables:
Zucchini, cut into 1/2 in thick rounds
Cremini Mushrooms, stemmed
Red Onion, cut into wedges
Cherry Tomatoes
Small Potatoes, par boiled (10 minutes)
Yellow Pepper, cut into 1 in. pieces
Eggplant, cut into 1 in. pieces
Marinade #1: Southwestern Tomato
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (we didn't have any...bummer)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, to taste
Marinade #2: Balsamic Vinaigrette
Measurements are far from exact.
2 parts balsamic vinegar
.5 part aged balsamic vinegar
1.5 parts EVOO (slowly streamed in while whisking)
salt to taste
We soaked the skewers for about 30 minutes before threading them with the multitude of vegetable and beef chunks. Once on the skewer, we sprinkled them with salt and used a brush to coat the skewers with one of the two marinades. Then onto a piping hot grill until fully cooked - maybe 15 minutes?
The beef was SOOOO incredibly delicious. Another one of those grass fed wonders that acts as a bold new flavor that my tastebuds just LOVE. And it was so tender and perfectly cooked. The vegetables were also fantastic, just as you would expect.
I would say amongst the marinades, the tomato one won hands down. It had a nice flavor that stood up to the vegetables and beef but did not overpower. I found the balsamic vinaigrette to be a little dull, perhaps we didn't use enough or should have marinated the vegetables and beef in it for a bit before threading them onto the skewer. Derek and I both agreed though, that the tomato marinade was awesome. So easy too. All the ingredients are common in our kitchen so I'd say it's a great go-to recipe with no tweaks required!
Perfect Pairing: La Fin du Monde "The End of the World" - Canadian Beer
This is one of my FAVORITE beers. I had forgotten how much I liked it!! I has an A rating on Beer Advocate, not too shabby. It's a Belgian style beer (obviously why I like it) that is described as: a brilliant golden color with vigorously effervescent foam. It is mildly yeasty with a complex palate of malt, fruit and spice notes followed by a smooth, dry finish. It was $3.19 for my bottle, or you can get a large one in the $7 range...highly recommended!!
Why TWO marinades? Well - simple. I narrowed the choices for marinades down to three and asked Derek (while on his computer) - which one he thought we should have...
...
.....
.......
no response. (SURPRISE, the story of my life - what is it about men and their total lack of multi-tasking skills while entrenched in the technology filled virtual world...void of real human connection and interaction)
Therefore, I chose two (one was easy to throw out, I wasn't really in the mood for a soy sauce-based one). And here is our creation.
Our Saturday Night Kebabs:
Rib-Eye Steak
Vegetables:
Zucchini, cut into 1/2 in thick rounds
Cremini Mushrooms, stemmed
Red Onion, cut into wedges
Cherry Tomatoes
Small Potatoes, par boiled (10 minutes)
Yellow Pepper, cut into 1 in. pieces
Eggplant, cut into 1 in. pieces
Marinade #1: Southwestern Tomato
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (we didn't have any...bummer)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, to taste
Marinade #2: Balsamic Vinaigrette
Measurements are far from exact.
2 parts balsamic vinegar
.5 part aged balsamic vinegar
1.5 parts EVOO (slowly streamed in while whisking)
salt to taste
We soaked the skewers for about 30 minutes before threading them with the multitude of vegetable and beef chunks. Once on the skewer, we sprinkled them with salt and used a brush to coat the skewers with one of the two marinades. Then onto a piping hot grill until fully cooked - maybe 15 minutes?
The beef was SOOOO incredibly delicious. Another one of those grass fed wonders that acts as a bold new flavor that my tastebuds just LOVE. And it was so tender and perfectly cooked. The vegetables were also fantastic, just as you would expect.
I would say amongst the marinades, the tomato one won hands down. It had a nice flavor that stood up to the vegetables and beef but did not overpower. I found the balsamic vinaigrette to be a little dull, perhaps we didn't use enough or should have marinated the vegetables and beef in it for a bit before threading them onto the skewer. Derek and I both agreed though, that the tomato marinade was awesome. So easy too. All the ingredients are common in our kitchen so I'd say it's a great go-to recipe with no tweaks required!
Perfect Pairing: La Fin du Monde "The End of the World" - Canadian Beer
This is one of my FAVORITE beers. I had forgotten how much I liked it!! I has an A rating on Beer Advocate, not too shabby. It's a Belgian style beer (obviously why I like it) that is described as: a brilliant golden color with vigorously effervescent foam. It is mildly yeasty with a complex palate of malt, fruit and spice notes followed by a smooth, dry finish. It was $3.19 for my bottle, or you can get a large one in the $7 range...highly recommended!!
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