Rainbow Kebabs

Some kids can’t resist food on a stick, especially when it is colorful! These rainbow kebabs offer tons of protein and potassium for strong bones and muscles. Try these on their own, or with your kid’s, or your, favorite dip! You can also try marinating vegetables or proteins for new flavor combinations.

With this super versatile recipe, you can use a variety of protein foods as well as veggies or even fruit to mix it up! Bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, onions, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, pineapple, mango, apples, and peaches are just a few of the foods that work well for kebabs. If creating a meat and veggie/fruit combo (on the same skewer), be sure veggies and fruit:

compliment the flavors of the meat and dip/marinade,
take about the same amount of time to cook as the meat (see note below), and
are able to stay on the skewer.

Keep it food safe - use different cutting boards for meat and vegetables. If you need to use the same cutting board, be sure to cut the veggies first and wash your cutting board and knife between uses, especially after cutting the chicken.

Yield

4 Servings

Preparation time

15 minutes

Cooking time

15 minutes

Total time

30 minutes

Ingredients

8 wooden skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes - see note below)

2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes)

1 zucchini (cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds - see note)

8 oz mushrooms (sliced)

2 red bell peppers (chopped)

1 red onion (chopped)

olive oil (or cooking spray)

salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat the grill on medium high heat; if cooking these in the oven, preheat to 350 degrees.
Start assembling the skewers by piercing the chicken with a skewer using the pointy end. Slide the cube of chicken to the other end. Then add a piece of zucchini, followed by a mushroom, then bell pepper and finally a piece of onion. Repeat this pattern until the skewer is full. Place the skewer on a plate or the cutting board until the rest are prepared.
Once all of the skewers are loaded with ingredients, drizzle with olive oil, or spray with cooking spray. Then, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
If grilling, place the skewers on the grill. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (about 15-20 minutes or 165 degrees) If baking, place the skewers on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees).

Notes

Soaking Skewers
Before assembling, be sure the skewers have been soaking in water for at least 30 minutes to keep them from burning or catching on fire – dry wood is very flammable.

Uniform Size for Even Cooking
Cut all of the vegetables and meat into about the size of a golf ball for even cooking. Ensuring all meat is the same size is important. Larger pieces will likely be undercooked, and/or smaller pieces will be overcooked.

It’s also important to choose veggies and fruit that take the same amount of time to cook as the meat does so all food is cooked evenly.

To be sure foods are not over or undercooked, you can also create single ingredient skewers (e.g., one skewer with just meat, one with just tomatoes, etc.).

Equipment you’ll need:

Knife
2 cutting boards (see the keep it food safe tip above)
Measuring cups and spoons
8 wooden skewers
Tongs
A plate or baking sheet
Grill (optional)