Photo courtesy of David Bartolomi

recipes

Chicken and Veggie Kebabs
Stephanie Brooks - Dietetic Intern, FamilyCook Productions

Serves 2-3 adults, or 4-5 children

For the kebabs:
8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
2-3 bell peppers, various colors
1 red or yellow onion
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
Optional – 1 yellow or green zucchini; 1 cup button or baby bella mushrooms
Bamboo or metal skewers

Kebab marinade:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt  and ¼ tsp
ground black pepper

For the rice:
1 ½ cups dry brown rice (basmati rice recommended)
3 cups liquid (water, low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, or a combination)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

For the sauce:
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
½ lemon, juice and zest
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Prepare rice in a rice cooker or on the stove. Use 1 ½ cups dry rice with 3 cups liquid (either all water, all stock, or a combination of both).  Prepare the sauce by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in refrigerator.

While the rice is cooking, cut chicken into pieces approximately 1” cube. Add to a bowl or Ziploc bag. Add olive oil, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. Mix to combine, and let marinade while preparing vegetables.

Chop all vegetables into pieces approximately 1” square (the tomatoes can likely stay whole). Prepare the skewers by alternating chicken and veggies. Leave a little space between ingredients on the skewer to ensure even cooking.

Grill skewers for approximately 3-4 minutes per side, or until the chicken is fully cooked through and vegetables are starting to soften and lightly brown.

Once the rice is done, add olive oil, parsley and mint. Stir and set aside.

To assemble the dish, scoop rice into a ½ cup (adults) or 1/3 cup (children) measuring cup. Invert on to the middle of the plate, then flatten slightly to make a ring. Layer skewers in a criss-cross on top of rice (1-2 skewers for children; 2-3 for adults). Place a small dish of sauce directly below the rice. Create a sun decoration with small slices of bell pepper (use multiple colors) arranged in a sunburst shape, with a cherry tomato in the middle.