Cookin' with Karl
Produce, eggplant and chili lime chicken kabobs
Chili lime chicken kabobs are a healthy alternative to other grilled favorites.
August has arrived in Ohio, and this means one very important thing. It is full-on vegetable and fruit season. Sweet corn is finally coming in, zucchini is abundant, tomatoes are starting to ripen. It is all happening now. Peaches are amazing, early apples are ready. It is time to visit a farmers market, roadside stand or places like Richardson Farms or Bauman Orchards. Most local restaurants are getting in on the act as well, featuring homegrown tomatoes and whatever local produce they can get their hands on.
Speaking of local produce, I want to give a shout out to my neighbor Joe. Neighbors can be one of the true joys in life. I am surrounded by better neighbors than anyone could hope for, and feel truly blessed. This past Sunday evening, I was out back tending to the chicken wings cooking on my Big Green Egg. I see my neighbor Joe firing up his Weber kettle grill and hear him mention eggplant.
At that point, I shouted over “Hey Joe, you cookin’ eggplant?” Joe says, “yep, grilling eggplant.” I know very little about eggplant and have not grilled it before, so I was intrigued. As I continued cooking my wings in my “man’s world” a.k.a. grilling zone, Joe appeared with a plate of four tiny eggplants, grilled to a charred finish on both sides. My wife Yvette and I tasted them, and my world was changed!
I told Joe that this was one of the best foods I have eaten all summer. The other “best foods I have eaten all summer” came from another neighbor, Andy and his wife Wendy, who made thin Chicago-inspired pizzas on their Weber kettle grill. Neighbors are great.
Back to the eggplant. Joe told me his secrets. First, he buys very small eggplants. He slices them in half, then coats them, all sides, in pickling salt and lets them rest in a colander. He lets that sit for an hour or so, which draws out the bitter liquid that people don’t like (I had no idea, really). He then completely rinses off the salt, pats them dry and then coats them on all sides with olive oil. He lets that sit while he lights up the grill and the coals get hot, so about a half hour.
Then, he grills them first flesh side down, until they get a nice complete even char (brown, not burnt). He then flips them and chars the skin side. Then, he serves them warm. Let me tell you, the inside was like a warm custard, and the taste was beyond awesome. How could I have lived this long and not have had something like this? Joe says it is the Italian side of his heritage, and that they grew up eating eggplant this way. Tasty, easy and super healthy. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Speaking of chicken, I need to share one more recipe. This one I created last summer for the soccer team, and made it again for part of their dinner on their annual campout. It was inspired by my son’s desire for only healthy dishes and for my need to be able to cook something of great quality quickly. The recipe is chili lime chicken kabobs (or skewers). It is very simple.
Buy boneless chicken breasts, 1⁄2 pound per person. Cut them into about 1-inch cubes. Place them in a glass pan or bowl. Then prepare the marinade. The marinade consists of fresh lime juice (one whole lime per chicken breast), an equal amount of olive oil (I use one cup of each), 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, fresh ground pepper, and fresh ground Himalayan pink salt.
Whisk this all together, pour over the chicken to cover, and let sit / marinade for at least one hour and up to eight hours. Then, simply spear them onto water soaked bamboo skewers, leaving a hair of space between each, and grill for about 10 minutes over medium heat. I go by look but they should be 165 degrees.
If you want, hit them again with some paprika, fresh ground pepper, and Himalayan salt when you put them on the grill. Also, when you pull them off, good form would be to squeeze fresh lime juice over them. Let’s just say that every time I make these, I can never make enough. Even better, add fresh garden veggies to the kabob, and serve over a jasmine rice with orzo.
Speaking of local produce, I want to give a shout out to my neighbor Joe. Neighbors can be one of the true joys in life. I am surrounded by better neighbors than anyone could hope for, and feel truly blessed. This past Sunday evening, I was out back tending to the chicken wings cooking on my Big Green Egg. I see my neighbor Joe firing up his Weber kettle grill and hear him mention eggplant.
At that point, I shouted over “Hey Joe, you cookin’ eggplant?” Joe says, “yep, grilling eggplant.” I know very little about eggplant and have not grilled it before, so I was intrigued. As I continued cooking my wings in my “man’s world” a.k.a. grilling zone, Joe appeared with a plate of four tiny eggplants, grilled to a charred finish on both sides. My wife Yvette and I tasted them, and my world was changed!
I told Joe that this was one of the best foods I have eaten all summer. The other “best foods I have eaten all summer” came from another neighbor, Andy and his wife Wendy, who made thin Chicago-inspired pizzas on their Weber kettle grill. Neighbors are great.
Back to the eggplant. Joe told me his secrets. First, he buys very small eggplants. He slices them in half, then coats them, all sides, in pickling salt and lets them rest in a colander. He lets that sit for an hour or so, which draws out the bitter liquid that people don’t like (I had no idea, really). He then completely rinses off the salt, pats them dry and then coats them on all sides with olive oil. He lets that sit while he lights up the grill and the coals get hot, so about a half hour.
Then, he grills them first flesh side down, until they get a nice complete even char (brown, not burnt). He then flips them and chars the skin side. Then, he serves them warm. Let me tell you, the inside was like a warm custard, and the taste was beyond awesome. How could I have lived this long and not have had something like this? Joe says it is the Italian side of his heritage, and that they grew up eating eggplant this way. Tasty, easy and super healthy. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Speaking of chicken, I need to share one more recipe. This one I created last summer for the soccer team, and made it again for part of their dinner on their annual campout. It was inspired by my son’s desire for only healthy dishes and for my need to be able to cook something of great quality quickly. The recipe is chili lime chicken kabobs (or skewers). It is very simple.
Buy boneless chicken breasts, 1⁄2 pound per person. Cut them into about 1-inch cubes. Place them in a glass pan or bowl. Then prepare the marinade. The marinade consists of fresh lime juice (one whole lime per chicken breast), an equal amount of olive oil (I use one cup of each), 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, fresh ground pepper, and fresh ground Himalayan pink salt.
Whisk this all together, pour over the chicken to cover, and let sit / marinade for at least one hour and up to eight hours. Then, simply spear them onto water soaked bamboo skewers, leaving a hair of space between each, and grill for about 10 minutes over medium heat. I go by look but they should be 165 degrees.
If you want, hit them again with some paprika, fresh ground pepper, and Himalayan salt when you put them on the grill. Also, when you pull them off, good form would be to squeeze fresh lime juice over them. Let’s just say that every time I make these, I can never make enough. Even better, add fresh garden veggies to the kabob, and serve over a jasmine rice with orzo.