CHICKEN & VEGGIES ON A STICK

RECIPES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING WONDERFUL, CLEVER AND OVER THE TOP.

Once in a while you just need to try something new, something fun and even a little exciting--go out on a limb or maybe just out on a stick. Kabobs, as these are commonly known, are so simple and easy to make and yet they look so incredibly amazing when they are cooked and served that you'll be the admiration of the party or whoever you are serving them to. There is an endless variety of ways of making kabobs so the only limit is your own imagination or whatever you happen to have on hand. The secret of these, however, is in the Korean bar-b-que sauce that gives them a sweet, spicy, piquant flavor that is almost indefinable yet definitely delicious. If you don't have any chicken on hand, use whatever is available; shrimp is also delicious used in a kabob. If you don't have any mango, use pineapple. So, let's get started:

4 C. cut-up vegetables (peppers, onions, mushrooms and zucchini)

1 C. sliced mango

1 pound chicken breast cut into small chunks

1/2 C. Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce (available at specialty stores in the Asian section)

1/2 C. oil and vinegar salad dressing (I use Newman's Own)

1/4 C. canola salad oil

1 C. Basmati rice cooked in 2 C. water with 1 tsp. salt (or whatever kind of rice you prefer)

1. Put the vegetables in a bowl and add the Hoisin sauce, salad dressing and oil. Reserve some of the marinade for basting the kabobs while they are on the grill. Add the chicken.

2. Place in a Zip-Lock bag and allow to marinate for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. In the meantime, put the wooden skewers you want to use in a pan of water to soak while the chicken and vegetables are marinating. This is an important step that you don't want to skip. Otherwise they might catch on fire while you're cooking your kabobs.

3. After the vegetables and chicken have marinated long enough to fully absorb the Hoisin and salad dressing, remove them from the bag and put them on the sticks in whatever order you want. Then throw away the bag with the marinade. Don't try using it to baste the kabobs.

5. Cook a pot of rice so that it will be ready when your kabobs have been cooked on the bar-b-que.

6. Give your kabobs about 10 minutes on each side so the chicken will be fully cooked. Serve with the rice immediately while they are still piping hot. Remove from the stick with a fork so you don't burn your fingers. Serves 2-4. Enjoy!