Kabobs are an easy, healthy and delicious way to serve fruits and vegetables. Learn how to make grilled fruit & vegetable kabobs with this easy to follow and customizable recipe.
Man, I love to grill.
I love to grill so much that I will stand in our unshaded backyard, getting blasted by the blazing sun to grill up a meal.
Why do I love to grill? Oh, I don’t know…
Maybe it’s the power of fire to completely change flavors.
Maybe it’s the serenity of cooking outside.
Maybe it’s the sound of sizzling food that always makes you hungry.
Or, maybe it’s the fact that grilling = less dishes. {If you asked Coach, he would say this is the reason because I HATE doing dishes.}
Whatever the reason, grilling is pure cooking and eating delight.
Last week I explained how to grill cantaloupe and this week I’m coming at ya’ with an easy recipe for grilled fruit and vegetable kabobs for this month’s Recipe Redux challenge. {The challenge is to share a way to use summer’s best produce.} I love simple techniques that dress up produce, making them more sophisticated and delicious. This is definitely one of those secrets to keep as a trick up your sleeve.
Why is it that simply threading food on to a stick makes it so much more appealing? I don’t really know the answer to that question, but I know it’s true. I made these kabobs for a Memorial Day party because I wanted to bring a healthy dish that wasn’t boring. I do NOT want to be that girl who brings the boring healthy dish to a party. Fortunately,
Fruits + Veggies + Stick + Grill = Culinary magic
My kabobs were gobbled up and I felt good about bringing a beautiful, healthy dish. Win!
The great thing about this method of cooking veggies is it’s completely customizable to your flavor preference. After coating the veggies in olive oil, you can sprinkle on whatever dry seasoning you like. It could be as simple as salt and pepper or be adventurous with some of the great seasoning rubs I know you have in your pantry. I used this Balsamic & Roasted Onion rub I got as a Christmas present last year that I’m currently obsessed with. But one of my favorite, all-purpose rubs is Montreal Chicken Seasoning. It seriously goes with everything!
You can use whatever firm veggies and fruit you have or like. Make sure they are firmly secured on the kabob stick. I find that peppers, summer squash, onion and tomatoes work the best (i.e. don’t fall off the stick easily) but I love to try all kind of things like mushrooms, pineapple, peaches, broccoli, watermelon and mango.
If you are not in the mood to grill these puppies, you can easily roast them in the oven. Preheat your oven to 450ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking oil. Arrange kabobs in a single layer on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until veggies are semi soft with dark edges. It’s also still important to soak the skewers.
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons
- 1 cup mushrooms
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 3 medium bell peppers (red, yellow, and red), cut in to 1" pieces
- ½ large red onion, cut in to 1" pieces
- 1 mango, peeled, cored and cut into thick, 1" pieces
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dry seasoning rub (like Monterey Chicken seasoning)
- 20-25 6" bamboo wood skewers
- Cover skewers with water and soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat.
- Place cut fruits and vegetables in a large bowl. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle in dry seasoning rub and gently toss veggies again.
- Thread fruit and vegetable pieces on to the skewers, beginning and ending with a piece of zucchini.
- Spray (carefully) grill plates with nonstick spray specific for grilling.
- Lay kabobs on grill and cook for 2 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip kabobs to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove kabobs from grill and set on serving plate. Enjoy!
So bust out all those beautiful summer fruits and veggies, fire up the grill and put these kabobs on the table TONIGHT! I know they will be a hit!
If you’re looking for another healthy and delicious grilled side, try my Cantaloupe Salad with Blueberry Ginger Vinaigrette. A few of my blogging friends have great ideas for an outdoor party too. Try their Black Bean Hummus with Avocado and Blackberry Lemonade Margaritas. YUMMO!
Make sure you check out all the other awesome Redux posts below for even more ideas on how to creatively use summer produce.
To grilling in the blazing sun because it’s worth it,
Jenna
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