Bagheera Jerk Kebabs

Serve Bagheera Jerk Kebabs with Coconut Rice and Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bananas and Ginger for a great introduction to this season of relaxed summer dining.

A Plan to Celebrate

Last weekend my oldest son came home from college with a plan. He told me he was cooking a Mother’s Day barbecue dinner worthy of posting about. He was using a recipe previously developed and taste tested among members of his band, Bagheera. The band gave these Kebabs a rave review.

I was delighted! Last weekend was the perfect weekend for a barbecue, better than the weekend before when it actually was Mother’s Day but the weather was questionable and everyone was busy. Last weekend the weather was gorgeous, warm and sunny, and following a track meet where my youngest son qualified for regionals, we had no other obligations to distract us from cooking together.

Relaxed Dining with Bagheera Jerk Kebabs

We shopped, chopped and put the meat in bags to marinate before the track meet. Back home, we put the kebabs together on soaked wood skewers. Then my son barbecued while I cooked Coconut Rice and Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bananas and Ginger.

Dinner was delicious. The marinade, Johnny’s “Jamaica Me Sweet Hot and Crazy” Dressing and Marinade, mixed with the canned pineapple, offered the perfect amount of spice for my taste and balanced deliciously with the sweet tartness of the pineapple juice. Served over rice cooked in a mixture of coconut juice and coconut milk, that turned out sweet and slightly creamy, the Kebabs were a perfect introduction to relaxed summer dining.

Bagheera Jerk Kebabs

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Marinating time

3

hours

Served over coconut rice with a side of smashed sweet potatoes, Bagheera Jerk Kebabs are a great introduction to relaxed summer dining.

Ingredients

• 1 20-oz can pineapple chunks

• 1 12-ounce bottle jerk suace marinade

• 2 pounds chicken thighs, skinned, boned and cut into 1 inch chunks

• 1 – 2 pounds lamb or sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces

• 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1 inch chunks

• 2 pasilla peppers, cut into 1 inch chunks

• 1 red onion, cut in to 1 inch wedges

Directions

• Combine the Jerk marinade and the pineapple chunks with their juice in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In two gallon-sized Ziploc bags, combine the remaining ingredients, evenly distributing the meat and vegetables between the two bags. Pour the pineapple jerk marinade evenly over the contents of both bags. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bags. Place the bags in the refrigerate to marinate for several hours.
• When you are ready to cook:
• Remove the Ziploc bags from the refrigerator.
• Thread the meat, vegetables and pineapple chunks onto metal or soaked wooden skewers, mixing up the meat and vegetables and making sure not to pack the pieces too tightly together.
• Pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 – 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
• Grill the kebabs over high heat, turning once after about 5 minutes, until the meat is cooked through.
• Serve with rice and reduced marinade.
• Enjoy!

Notes