Saturday, May 26, 2007

Grilled Chicken & Mango Kebabs (and baby bugs to look at!!!)

SUMMER IS HERE!!!

At our house, the season is signaled not by a date, but by the appearance of the first case of mangos from Sam’s Club. Yes, they carry these mostly year ‘round but to me mangos are a summertime-only treat. I bought a case this past Monday and by Friday night, the start of Memorial Day weekend, they were perfectly ready to use. Mango daiquiris were first (the dilemma—plain rum or coconut rum? Jack chose coconut.). And this was followed by a grilled dinner featuring mangos. I found this recipe in an issue of Canadian Living 4 years ago and it remains a favorite.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Grilled Chicken and Mango Kebabs


Recipe By: Canadian Living

Servings : 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

---------- ---------- --------------------------------

1 teaspoon lime rind

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 large garlic cloves -- minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- cut into 1/2" cubes

2 teaspoons honey

1 large mango -- cubed

1 large bell pepper -- 1/2" pieces

2 ounces sweet onion -- cut into 3/4" "skewerable" chunks

2/3 cup rice -- cooked and kept warm


In a small bowl, whisk together the lime rind through the hot sauce.


Place chicken in a covered container and pour about 1/3 of the marinade over; toss to mix, cover, refrigerate for 20 minutes to 4 hours.


To the remaining marinade, add the honey. Set aside.


Preheat grill on medium-high heat.


Thread pepper and onion pieces on skewers. Thread mango cubes on a separate skewer. Thread chicken cubes on a separate skewer and place on a large plate or baking tray. Spray chicken on all sides with cooking spray and place on grill. Cook, with the lid closed, for 3 minutes. Turn chicken and baste cooked part with the marinade. Add the pepper and onion skewers (as with the chicken, spray with cooking spray first) and place on grill. Brush peppers and onions with marinade. Close lid for 2 minutes.


Turn vegetables and chicken skewers and brush with marinade. Cover grill and cook for 2 minutes. Spray mango skewers with cooking spray and add to grill. Turn chicken and vegetable skewers a final time and brush with marinade. Also brush mangos with marinade. Cover and cook for one minute. Turn mango skewer and brush all skewers with more marinade. Cook one last minute.


Remove everything from the skewers, drizzle and remaining marinade on top and toss gently. Serve over hot cooked rice.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 553 Calories (kcal); 10g Total Fat; (15% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 85g Carbohydrate; 66mg Cholesterol; 405mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fruit; 22 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates


We’re not doing much of anything special for the holiday weekend. I need to get that garden planted so next week I can pick up a couple of bales of hay and mulch between the rows. We desperately need rain and I’ve been putting off this chore but with any luck some storms will come in later today (or so the weather weenies forecasted).


My spirea have been invaded by tiny green aphids and the part for my sprayer which I had ordered 2 weeks ago finally arrived yesterday. I only spray pesticides when necessary and, in this case, the little pests can be taken care of with insecticidal soap. So I was checking out the plants last evening and saw baby praying mantises everywhere. Babies! We have a lot of the adults hanging around later in the summer, but I’ve never seen any so tiny.

Bear in mind that the leaves are only 1”-1 ¼ “ long.


And since I had the camera outside…