Barbecues are synonymous with summer. Living in the city, however, makes having a barbecue very difficult. Don’t get me wrong, I love living in New York, but it comes with both pros and cons. One of the cons is not enough outdoor space to have a proper grill. So, Michael and I improvised. We decided to have a mini barbecue tonight by taking our little electric grill onto the balcony!

The excitement quickly faded away, though, when I realized we can’t cook much on our grill. It’s too small and doesn’t produce enough heat. Basically, we ain’t makin’ baby back ribs or anything fancy tonight! I got a little sad at the thought of this, but came up with a perfect solution. Something fun, yummy, and quick to grill?  Shish kabobs!

Shish kabob literally means “skewer” and “roast meat.” I used beef in my recipe, but you could also use lamb, pork, or chicken. The best part about grilling shish kabobs is that they cook very quickly since everything is cut into little pieces. You can also personalize them by choosing your favorite veggies to grill with the meat. For our dinner, I chose what was fresh and on sale – zucchini, grape tomatoes, and orange peppers. (Note: If available, I usually go for red peppers because they have much more vitamin C!)

A very useful tip I learned from Rachael Ray is to skewer all your meat separately from your veggies. Although they look much prettier on the skewer together, it makes much more sense to skewer separately. Think about it – meat and veggies require different cooking times. If you put them on the same skewer, your meat will be juicy and tender, but your veggies will be undercooked. Or, your veggies will be nice and tender but your meat will be dry and overcooked!

The spices in this recipe make the meat and veggies SO flavorful. Plus, I let everything marinate for an hour. I know, you’re thinking, “An hour?! That’s a lot of time!” But I promise, it makes a world of a difference. An hour can go by very quickly. Just mix all of the ingredients together as soon as you get home. Then, let it marinate while you set the table, watch t.v., catch up on emails, etc. Before you know it, the hour is over! (If you’re really in a crunch for time, I suppose 30 minutes will do.) If you don’t have an electric grill or outdoor space, you can cook these on a stove-top grill or broiler.

Definitely give these kabobs a try. They also go very well with my quinoa!

Recipe
Yield: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS:
5 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tbsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. grill seasoning
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1 lb. top sirloin or beef round, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tsp. herbs de Provence
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup Greek plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated or minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp. fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
wooden or metal skewers

DIRECTIONS:
1. If using wooden skewers, soak in a pan or bucket of water for at least 30 minutes beforehand. This will prevent them from burning on the grill.
2. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil with cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, grill seasoning, and red pepper flakes (optional). Add beef cubes and mix until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for an hour.
3. In another bowl, combine remaining 3 tablespoons oil with herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Add your veggies and toss until evenly coated. Marinate at room temperature for about an hour as well.
4. Meanwhile, make your yogurt sauce by mixing together yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and mint in a bowl. Set aside.
5. Preheat grill to medium-high. Skewer your veggies first because they require more cooking time than beef. Set veggie skewers on grill and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender.
6. Once your veggies are on the grill, skewer the beef. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare.
7. Serve with yogurt dipping sauce.