Chicken Bratwurst and Veggie Kabobs

First, I have to start by saying happy 31st anniversary to my amazing parents! You both inspire me and I pray that Joel and I will be as happy as you two when we’ve been married for 31 years! I love you so much and hope that you have a wonderful anniversary!

Onto the kabobs! We are trying to get all the grilling in we can before the days of summer are long gone. And they will be soon around here.

I love kabobs but the problem I always encounter is that everything has a different cook time. Because of this, I don’t make them very often which is really too bad since it’s a full meal on a stick….no worrying about side dishes. So, to combat this problem I parboiled and blanched the longer cooking items so that they could all be threaded together on the skewers and I wouldn’t have to worry about undercooking the chicken or burning the veggies. Plus, I was able to put them all together while Noah napped and just throw them in the fridge. Then when dinner rolled around I simply grabbed them out of the fridge, preheated the grill and we had dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes. Gotta love that on a weeknight!

The combinations are endless when it comes to these kabobs. A more traditional take would be to swap out the potatoes, broccoli and zucchini with peppers and onions. Go with whatever your family enjoys!

Chicken Bratwurst and Veggie Kabobs

5 chicken bratwurst (approx. 19 oz.)
2 medium russet potatoes, diced into 1-inch chunks
1 cup broccoli florets
2-3 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Wooden skewers, soaked for 30 minutes

1. Parboil potatoes for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the brats until they are cooked through, about 8 minutes. When potatoes have 1 minute left, add the broccoli. Drain. Toss all the veggies in olive oil.

2. Remove brats and allow to cool enough to handle. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

3. Thread brats alternatively with veggies. Grill 3 minutes per side, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

During a recent visit to the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market I picked up some heirloom orange zucchini. It was our first visit but I will tell you it definitely won’t be our last! I loved the place but left a bit sad since it’s so far away and we don’t have anything comparable near us. But we went home with a couple bags full of fresh produce and homemade tortillas, yum!

Maybe I’m just oblivious or not too bright but I totally didn’t know zucchini came in anything other than green. So when I saw the heirloom orange zucchini, I snatched it up with pure excitement. And it was only 25 cents per zucchini so it was a total steal. When I got home, I got to thinking of what to make and oh so conveniently, this recipe popped up on my Facebook news feed. I have made several recipes from Skinny Taste with very pleasing results so I knew this would be a good one to try. And it turned out to be so easy.

I halved the recipe since I was making it for lunch and Joel isn’t a zucchini fan so I didn’t want lots of leftovers. I had some leftover cooked ground sausage that I threw in the freezer a few weeks ago after making Sicilian Spaghetti so I simply thawed it and sauted it with the vegetables. I even made it up the night before so I could just throw it in the oven the next day. This was a great, healthy lunch that I enjoyed a lot. Maybe I can talk Joel into trying it. We shall see.

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini
recipe from Skinny Taste

1 1/4 pizza sauce or jarred spaghetti sauce
4 medium zucchini
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced (I left this out because I didn’t have it on hand)
14 oz. lean chicken sausage, removed from casing
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella, shredded
8 tsp. parmesan cheese, grated (I left this out)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4″ thick. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside.

3. Drop zucchini halves into boil water for 1 minute then remove.

4. Place 1/4 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 12″ baking dish, and place zucchini halves cut side up.

5. In a large saute pan, brown sausage, breaking up as it cooks into smaller pieces until browned; set aside. Heat oil and add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook on a medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add chicken sausage and cook until browned, breaking up in smaller pieces with a wooden spoon until cooked through.

6. Using a spoon, fill each hollowed zucchini with 1/3 cup cooked sausage, pressing firmly. Top each with 2 tablespoons each of sauce, 1 tablespoon each of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 teaspoon each of parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.

Grilled Zucchini

I don’t like a whole lot of vegetables but the ones that I do enjoy I totally love. And zucchini is one of those vegetables. I could probably eat it every day.

I love grilled zucchini but I usually had trouble preparing it. I used to slice it into bite size chunks, place it in foil then grill it but I always seemed to overcook it and it just turned to mush. Not so good. One day I decided to just cut thick rings and throw it on the grill and it turned out perfectly. And what makes grilled food even better? A marinade. I just mixed up a simple oil and vinegar dressing then let them marinade in the fridge for as long as I could. Obviously, the longer they can marinade (up to overnight) the better they will taste but I have thrown them on the grill after only 30 minutes and it still turned out great.

This zucchini is a great side to grilled chicken or pork chops for a delicious, healthy and mess free meal!

Grilled Zucchini

1 large zucchini or 2 medium
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. basil
kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Combine olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper in a sealable container. Seal container and shake until well combined. Wash zucchini thoroughly and slice into thick rounds. Toss in the oil and vinegar mixture and marinate for 30 minutes or up to overnight. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place zucchini on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes then flip and cook another 3 minutes or until tender.

Zucchini Oven Chips

These zucchini chips were a fun and different side to go alongside some grilled chicken.  The original recipe called for plain breadcrumbs but I decided to substitute panko bread crumbs to add an extra crunch.  They were soft on the inside and crispy on the outside and would be great dipped in marinara sauce. 

Baking them on a wire rack  helped crisp both sides without needing any butter or oil.  With about 61 calories per serving (3/4 cup) they are a pretty healthy side and a great alternative to a potato or pasta dish.

Zucchini Oven Chips
recipe adapted from myrecipes.com

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet.
3. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.