Italian Marinated Chicken & Pineapple Kabobs
Makes approx. 7-8 Servings
Ingredients
4, Chicken Breasts
1/2, Fresh Pineapple
2, Red Bell Peppers
2, Large White Onions
2 Tablespoons, Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
1 Teaspoon, Garlic Salt
S&P
1 Bottle, Italian Marinade * I used a Rosemary Balsamic Marinade
Rice:
2 Cups, Brown Basmati Rice
5 Cups, Chicken Broth
1 Tablespoon, Fresh Ginger, minced
3, Fresh Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon, Olive Oil
S&P
2 Tablespoons, Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
If you are using wooden skewers make sure you soak them in water for several hours to avoid burning them on the grill. If using metal skewers you can skip this step.
Chicken: Cut the chicken into large chunks and place them into a baking dish. Season with S&P, garlic salt and fresh rosemary. Turn chicken to even coat them. Pour the marinade over the chicken (use just enough to completely cover the chicken which was about 1 bottle). Place plastic wrap over the dish and place in fridge for at least a few hours to marinade.
Rice: About an hour prior to cooking the kabobs get your rice going. On the stove, add the chicken broth, rice, ginger, garlic, S&P and olive oil (or butter). Stir and bring to a boil. Once the rice is boiling, turn heat to low and cover. Simmer until rice is done. When making 2 batches like this recipe, the rice took almost an hour to cook. Make sure to taste the rice as it gets close to about 40 minutes. If it seams to be just about done, turn the heat off and keep covered until ready to serve. Once you turn the heat off, you can also add the cilantro and stir. Taste the rice and season with S&P if needed.
Veggies/Fruit: Prep the veggies and fruit just before pulling the chicken out of the fridge. Cut the onions and red peppers into large pieces. Core and cut the pineapple into large chunks.
Ready for the Grill
Assembling the Kabobs: First spray your kabob skewers with some cooking spray. Create an assembly line with a baking sheet, the skewers, veggies, fruit and chicken. Start with a skewer and start putting a red pepper onto the skewer, then onion, then chicken, then pineapple. Place the completed kabobs onto the baking sheet. Repeat until each kabob is filled.
Grilling Time!
Cooking the Kabobs: Turn grill to medium-high heat. Place the kabobs onto the grill and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn kabobs and continue cooking. If grill is too high turn down the heat a bit. Keep turning the kabobs until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on how hot your grill is, how big your pieces of chicken are and how packed your skewers are with the ingredients.
Plating: Place a bed of rice onto the platter. Place all the kabobs on top of the rice and serve or let your guests help themselves. Because you sprayed the skewers the ingredients will just slide right off.
Mangia! Enjoy!
Notes
Rice: typically Brown Basmati Rice calls for 1 cup of uncooked rice to 2 1/4 cups of liquid. I have found that when I am cooking this type of rice it always ends up needing more liquid than what it calls for otherwise it seems to turn out too crunchy. So, I add a little more liquid in mine and it turns out perfect! To infuse your rice, you can add any flavors you like. I love the flavor it gets from the ginger and garlic and by adding fresh herbs at the end. You can also toast up some nuts (i.e.: pine nuts) and adding those at the end too. So delicious!
Marinade: You can marinate your chicken in any store-bought or homemade marinade that you like. I first tried the one in this recipe at my sister’s house. She marinates her chicken in it and it is so delicious I just had to buy some. It also makes this recipe much quicker and easier. Of course the cook in me had to add a little more to it like my fresh rosemary from my herb garden. Just check out the aisle at your local supermarket where they sell condiments/marinades. There are so many to choose from. This one happened to be gluten free, fairly low in sodium, low in calories and sugar. It was a “Rosemary Balsamic Marinade”.