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25.6.12

Simple Skewers

Skewers on the fire are quintessential camp food, yes? Here are a variety of skewer ideas....but it's no secret, you can make these as fancy or simple as you want, and you can cook almost anything this way.... as long as you can poke a stick through it!

What you need:

Bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 15-30 minutes)
Various Vegetables
Seitan 
Tofu
Olive oil
Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Herbs
Curry powder
BBQ Sauce 
Spicy Peanut Sauce 
Fruit!
Marinating dish

Instructions

Whatever you are making prepare your marinade and let your veg or fake meats soak in marinade ideally for 30 minutes.

BBQ Seitan Skewers

1. Cube seitan into 1-1 1/2" cubes.
2. Coat seitan cubes in bbq sauce.
3. Thread the cubes onto your skewers, loading each skewer with 4-5 cubes.
4. Cook on the grill over the fire, turning often, until cooked through.


Mushroom Skewers

1. Fine dice garlic and mix with 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped herb of your choice in marinating dish.
2. Toss whole white or brown mushrooms in marinade.
3. Thread the mushrooms onto your skewer, from the bottom of the mushroom through to the top.
4. Cook on the grill over the fire, turning often, until cooked through.



Red Pepper and Onions Skewers

1. Mix 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped herb of your choice in marinating dish.
2. Chop Peppers and Onions into 1 - 1 1/2"pieces
3. Thread the pieces onto your skewers, alternating, loading each skewer with 7-8 pieces.
4. Cook on the grill over the fire, turning often, until cooked through.


Baby Potato Skewers

These take a lot longer than the other vegetable skewers, so do it when you are in no rush, or pre-boil your potatoes a little to get them cooking faster.

1. Toss potatoes in a bowl with oil and coarse salt.
3. Thread the cubes onto your skewers, loading each skewer with 4-5 potatoes.
4. Cook on the grill over the fire, turning often, until cooked through.

 Spicy Peanut Tofu Skewers

1. Cube firm tofu or seitan into 1-1 1/2" cubes
2. Coat cubes in spicy peanut sauce.*
3. Thread the cubes onto your skewers, loading each skewer with 4-5 cubes
4. Cook on the grill over the fire, turning often, until cooked through.

IDEA: I haven't tried this yet, but I am thinking of trying these with pieces of eggplant (marinated in the peanut sauce) interspersed with the tofu peanut cubes. 

* Make your own, buy a jarred vegetarian version or make this delightful recipe by Robin Robertson. 


Curried UnChicken and Banana Skewers

Ok, this one has yet to be tested as well.....but I will be trying it this summer. It is inspired by a simple Caribbean recipe for Curried Chicken with plantains.

1. Cut fake defrosted unchicken (Gardein Meatless Chicken breasts) into 1-1 1/2" pieces.
2. Cut banana into 1-1 1/2" pieces.
3. Make a marinade of 1/4 cup of oil, 1 tsp salt, 4 tsp curry powder and juice from 2 limes.
4. Coat unchicken pieces in marinade.
5. Alternate threading unchicken pieces with bananas onto your skewers.
6. Cook on the grill over the fire, turning often, until cooked through. 
6. Squeeze a little lime juice over top before serving.


Grilled Fruit Skewers

Try any combo! Peach, Plum, Mango, Orange, Strawberry, Banana, Pear, Pineapple!

1. Cut pieces of fruit into beautiful slices, pieces or even keep some fruit whole...like strawberries.
2. Optional options!: 
Lightly brush (did you bring your pastry brush?) oil on to fruit.
Sprinkle fruit with cinnamon.
Sprinkle fruit with lemon juice.
Sprinkle fruit with rum! 
Combine all of these things into a marinade!
Or just go plain...grilled fruit is delicious just on its own.
3. Thread the fruit pieces onto your skewers, alternating in a pretty pattern.
2. Cook on the grill over the fire, turning, until cooked through.