Persian Style Chicken Kabobs

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Moby Dick's House of Kabob is one of my favorite places ever. Anyone that knows me is aware of this...I usually go there once a week. I've always thought of attempting kabobs at home, but never got around to it. Today I decided to wing it! I knew that the key ingredient to keep the chicken moist is to marinate it in yogurt, so this is what I came up with. I will say the one adjustment I would make is in the spices - I would probably not use cinnamon the next go around, but to each their own! I served this with lime zest basmati rice (yep, out of a box - but I did add some fresh lime juice), homemade tzatziki sauce, and a side of tomato and cucumber salad. You can also get creative with the vegetables you add to the skewers.

Kabobs:
1/3 cup plain yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric - approx.
1/2 tsp paprika - approx.
1/2 tsp cinnamon - approx.
1/2 tsp dry mustard - approx.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch chunks )
1 zucchini squash, sliced equally into bite sized pieces
1/2 onion (I used yellow), cut into bite sized pieces
1 orange bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces

bamboo skewers (soak for 20-30 min. beforehand so they will not burn, or use metal)

Mix together the first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Toss them in a ziploc bag with the chicken. Make sure all pieces are covered with the marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. I've read you can do this up to 24 hours. Skewer up the chicken and vegetables, leaving room in between to cook. Grease grill pan with olive oil and grill each side of the skewer for approximately 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken. I finished mine off in the oven at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. It kept the chicken moist.

Tomato Cucumber Salad:
1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
dash of oregano
dash of salt and pepper
handful of chopped, seedless cucumber

Mix together and serve on the side. This can be refrigerated prior to cooking.

To serve, I laid down the rice (use your favorite), the skewer, and topped with tzatziki sauce and the tomato cucumber salad.

Seoul-ful Chicken with Minted Cucumbers

Courtesy of Cooking Light

This is a great spin on grilled chicken, Korean style. The recipe suggests using chicken thighs, but I had boneless chicken breasts on hand and they came out just fine. This dish is even better the next day for leftovers. It's served with the minted cucumber salad, but I do suggest eating the cucumber salad as a regular snack too -- it was tasty! Note: I halved this recipe and it came out great.

Cucumbers:

• 1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced (I left this out)  

Chicken:

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 4 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted (I bought McCormick's Toasted Sesame Seeds)

To prepare cucumbers, place cucumber slices in a colander; sprinkle with salt, tossing well. Drain 1 hour. Place cucumber slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Combine cucumber, shallots, and next 6 ingredients (through chile) in a large bowl; toss gently. Cover and set aside. (I didn't drain the cucumber and it was still OK)

To prepare chicken, place each chicken breast/thigh between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet (or buy thin cut breasts). Combine soy sauce and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to soy sauce mixture in bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place 4 breasts/thighs in pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure with remaining 4 pieces. Place portion of cucumbers on each of 4 plates; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon green onions and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.