Kebabs are a great way to grill vegetables and meats on the grill. The stick allows you to easily move the food around or to flip it over to further cooking on the other side. If you have no grill, you could use the broiler in your oven. If doing so, you might have to leave the door ajar, so as to allow the broiler to stay on full-time, instead of having the thermostat cycle the broiler on and off when the oven reaches a certain temperature.

Grill over a medium-high to high heat for a good char of the foods. Doneness is really determined by how you want to eat them. Just cooking the meats to a barely done state misses out on a lot of the flavor that gets developed when it begins to brown. The same with vegetables. You’ll have to watch them and flip over, depending on the conditions of your grill.

Meats are best when they are marinated to some extent, giving them a tasty flavor when fully cooked, versus using salt and pepper only.

All the foods need to be cut into consistent sized pieces, so they all cook at an even rate. I wanted to do some potato on my skewer, so I precooked my potatoes in boiling water until cooked through, cut them into pieces, then placed them on the skewer. Otherwise they would be solid in the center while the other foods would be ready to eat.

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them at least an hour before using, as they will eventually burn over a hot grill.

CHICKEN

• 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground lemongrass
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil

Cut breasts into bite size chunks. In a bowl combine chicken with the remaining ingredients, mix, cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hrs. Thread chicken pieces onto metal skewers and grill about 3 minutes per side, or until done completely.

SHRIMP

• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
• 8 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into thin strips
• 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 2 pounds thick cut bacon

Cut the jalapeño peppers into thin strips. Place a strip or two of jalapeno pepper and cheddar cheese inside each shrimp. Sprinkle the stuffed shrimp with garlic powder and seasoned salt. Wrap each shrimp with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Grill 10 to 15 minutes, or until firm.

MANGO BEEF SKEWERS

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup mango preserves
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup mango preserves
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound flank steak, sliced across the grain 3/8-inch thick
• 4 mangos, peeled, seeded, flesh cut into large chunks
• 10 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

Stir together mustard, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/4 cup preserves in a small bowl to make a dipping sauce; chill. Mix together the apple juice, teriyaki sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 cup preserves, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a bowl until blended. Add steak and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate 10 minutes. Prepare a grill and set for medium-high heat. Remove steak from marinade. Thread the steak strips onto the soaked skewers, occasionally adding a piece of mango. Grill to desired degree of doneness, about 1 minute on each side for medium. Serve with dipping sauce.