Have you got picky eaters in your family? Whiners (and by “whiners,” I don’t necessarily mean just children) who have banned most vegetables, fish, certain meats and other delectable items from their diet, who don’t like spices and herbs and who are generally wimps when it comes to trying anything new? Here are dishes to win them over: food on sticks.
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There are other benefits to serving food on sticks. For one thing, it tends to be tastier: A simple marinade will make the ho-hum sing. And because these foods are usually marinated, it means you can prep a meal up to a day ahead. Finally, food on sticks eliminates most food-safety concerns. It’s easier to get that chicken cooked through when it is cut into a small chunk than when it is attached to a large carcass.
The recipes below come from the new book “The World in Bite Size” by Paul Gayler (Kyle Books, 2008) and “Great Bar Food at Home” by Kate Heyhoe (Wiley, 2007). For all of them, you can cook the meats on a gas or charcoal grill, under a broiler or on the stovetop in a grill pan or skillet.
If you don’t want to try an actual recipe, just cut chunks of food — lamb, chicken, pork, shrimp, fish, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes — brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper or your choice of spices, and cook. You’ll be amazed by how fast dinner disappears.
ASIAN-PESTO GRILLED CHICKEN
1-1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/3 cup roasted peanuts
1 (1-1/4-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
scallions, trimmed and chopped, for serving
A few hours before serving, soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes, or set aside metal skewers. Cut the chicken into strips, then thread them lengthwise onto the skewers. Place in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.
Combine the mint, cilantro, garlic, peanuts, ginger, sugar and oil in a blender and puree to a coarse pulp. Pour half over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Cover and refrigerate the remaining pesto.
When ready to cook, preheat a gas or charcoal grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat, preheat a broiler, or brush a grill pan or skillet with oil, then place over high heat on the stovetop. Cook or grill the skewers, turning once, until a test piece of chicken shows no pink when sliced.
Scatter the chopped scallions over the chicken and serve with remaining pesto.
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe from “The World in Bite Size” by Paul Gayler (Kyle Books, 2008)
MISO-GLAZED MONKFISH SKEWERS
2 tablespoons white miso (see Cook’s note)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons sake (see Cook’s note)
1 tablespoon mirin (see Cook’s note)
1 egg yolk
1 pound monkfish fillet, cleaned and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds (see Cook’s note)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Cook’s note: A trip to a natural-foods store or Asian market should yield all of the ingredients you need for this dish. Miso is made by fermenting a mixture of soybeans, rice and cereal. Red miso is strong and salty, while white has a milder flavor. Mirin is a sweet rice wine, similar to sake. (If you can’t find mirin, just use more sake.) Black sesame seeds should also be available in such markets.
The day before you plan to serve, mix the miso, brown sugar, sake and mirin in a pan, then slowly bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the egg yolk, then transfer to a shallow dish and let cool.
Add the monkfish cubes, mix gently, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
A half hour before cooking, soak bamboo skewers in water or set aside metal skewers.
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat, preheat a broiler, or brush a grill pan or skillet with oil, then place over high heat on the stovetop. Thread the monkfish cubes onto the skewers and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Cook, turning once, until a test piece of fish, sliced, is opaque throughout and beginning to flake. Serve hot from the grill.
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe from “The World in Bite Size” by Paul Gayler (Kyle Books, 2008)
CHAR SU PORK ON A STICK
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons triple sec or dry sherry (optional)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (the kind sold in most supermarkets)
1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1-1/2 pounds), cut into chunks
hot Chinese mustard for serving (available, powdered, in the Asian aisle of the supermarket; prepare according to package directions)
At least 2 and up to 24 hours before cooking: Combine the soy sauce, molasses, hoisin, triple sec or sherry (if using), garlic, scallion, ginger and sesame oil in a shallow baking dish or resealable plastic bag. Mix well to dissolve the hoisin and molasses. Cut the pork into bite-sized chunks and add to the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning the pork occasionally.
A half hour before cooking, soak bamboo skewers in water or set aside metal skewers. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat, preheat a broiler, or brush a grill pan or skillet with oil, then place over high heat on the stovetop. Pour the marinade into a saucepan, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and boil, stirring often, until it reduces to a marmalade-like glaze, about 5 minutes.
Thread the pork on the skewers and cook, turning once, and basting with the glaze until a test piece of pork shows no pink when sliced.
Serve with a small dish of the glaze for dipping, along with a small dish of soy sauce and one of hot Chinese mustard.
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe from “Great Bar Food at Home” by Kate Heyhoe (Wiley, 2007)
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