Lemon-Herb Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs

I woke up today and realized that it's almost the end of July!! Oh my god, where has the summer gone?? I can't believe how quickly these last two months have flown by. Grilling to me is one of my favoirte parts of summer along with reading a book on the beach and going to BBQ's with our friends and family. So if you are like me and want to try and squeeze every last drop out of the beautiful sunshine and warm summer months, these would be perfect to make. They have so much flavor, you can taste the lemon, garlic and herbs in every bite. I suggest them with a baked sweet potato and corn on the cob for a complete, healthy and delicious summer meal.

Ingredients:

1 Large Lemon - Zested and Juiced

1 1/2 Tbsp Garlic - Minced

12 Basil Leaves - Minced

3 Sprigs of Rosemary - Minced

2 Sprigs of Oregano - Minced

1 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Ground Pepper

6 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 1/2 lb Chicken Breasts - Cubed

1 Yellow or Green Squash - Sliced

1-2 Peppers (Green, Red or Yellow) - Large Chunks

1/2 Any type of Onion - Largely Chunks

8-12 Wooden Skewers - Soaked in water

Adapted from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/

We will begin by making the marinade. In a medium sized bowl start with the minced garlic and zest a washed lemon into the bowl. Add the salt and pepper, stir to combine everything together. Roll your lemon on the counter top using the palm of your hand for about 30 second, this will bring the juices out within the fruit. Squeeze it into the bowl, being careful not to let any seeds go into the marinade. Add the olive oil and stir again.

Wash your herbs, taking the rosemary and oregano off of the stems. On a cutting board mince your herbs, try and get them as small as possible. When you think they are small enough, mince a little more! Stir them into the marinade. Set aside.

Now its time to get your food into the marinade. Dice, slice and chunk all of the veggies you intend to put on the skewers. Place them in a zip lock bag, spoon a few Tbsp of the marinade into the bag and shake it up. Dice up your chicken, shrimp would also be a good alternative if you don't want to use chicken. Pour the rest of the marinade over the proteins, cover with foil or plastic wrap and place containers into the fridge. Let them marinade for at least an hour.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat get out a big bowl of water out and place the wooden skewers into the water, this will prevent them from burning on the grill. If you have metal skewers you don't have to do this but you do have to be careful because you can easily burn yourself using a metal skewer. If your wooden skewers don't fit in the bowl of water just keep moving and flipping them around so each part was wet for at least a little while. After about 15 minutes your skewers will be ready to use.

Now it's time to turn the grill on to medium heat and make your kebabs, I usually start and finish with a vegetable on the end of each skewer. I also alternate between vegetables and 3-4 pieces of protein as I assemble them, this helps everything sit evenly on the grill which will in turn make things cook evenly. Make sure to leave a little room on each end as well so you can handle them without having to disturb the food. Place them on the grill when it's about 400 degrees and cook for 12-15 minutes, flipping them over every 5 minutes so each side is cooked and has nice char marks on it.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

This is linked to asouthernfairytale.com, http://iamaddictedtorecipes.blogspot.ca/, http://www.thenymelrosefamily.blogspot.com/, http://www.cupsbykim.blogspot.com/, http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/, www.insidebrucrewlife.com, www.chef-in-training.com, http://www.michellestastycreations.blogspot.com/, http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/, http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com, http://cupsbykim.blogspot.com
www.nap-timecreations.com, www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com, http://djssugarshack.com/wordpress1/,  
www.thebetterbaker.blogspot.com, www.sixsistersstuff.com, http://lovingthiscrazylife-melissa.blogspot.com,
http://www.lemonsforlulu.com/, http://www.foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com/