Since Monday, I’ve been with family down on Captiva Island, Florida. Ready to take a break from the kitchen, we ate out the first few nights. The food was fine. Like at other “island” vacation spots, the restaurants around here have a captive audience. They often don’t celebrate tropical ingredients as much as their names, cocktails and art suggest. After a few nights out, we were excited to cook again.

The house we rented has a nice grill, and last night we had a big group to feed. I decided on kebabs. A hodge-podge of vegetables looked good at the local supermarket — many were shrink-wrapped and journey-worn — so I picked up some limes, soy, mint and basil to add flavor. The top sirloin looked good for protein, and I grabbed some extra-firm tofu to see how that would do on the grill.

Sirloin and tofu kebabs
serves 4-6

Ingredients:
for the kebabs:
2 pounds top sirloin, cubed
1 medium pineapple, peeled and cored
8-10 roma tomatoes
10-12 button mushrooms
3 red, yellow or green bell peppers (or combination)

for the marinade:
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 lime (not juiced)

Note: If you’re using wood skewers, be sure to soak them in water for a couple of hours before cooking.

Instructions:
1. Wipe any dirt from the mushrooms with a paper towel. (To remove the stems, hold the mushroom caps with one hand, and twist and pull out the stems with the other.) Cut the pineapple into 2-inch cubes. Cut the tops and bottoms from the tomatoes and slice them in half crosswise. Cut the tops and bottoms from the peppers. Discard the cores and stems. Slice each pepper open lengthwise, and lay it flat on the cutting board. Trim away and discard the white membrane. Cut the peppers into 2-inch squares. Cut the sirloin into 2-inch cubes.

2. Thread alternating pieces of bell pepper, beef, pineapple, mushrooms (whole) and tomato onto wood or metal skewers. Put the kebabs in a casserole dish.

3. Chop the herbs and mix them with the olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Pour the marinade over the kebabs, cover, and refrigerate 2-4 hours. Let them come to room temperature before grilling.

4. Preheat the grill to high. Put the kebabs on the grill with room between them. Leave them alone to brown. Turn after a few minutes and continue to cook, letting the kebabs brown on all sides until the sirloin is just firm to the touch, 10-15 minutes.

5. Let the kebabs rest 10 minutes loosely covered with foil. Squeeze lime juice over the kebabs before serving.

Posted by brys in craving, recipes, personal | | Subscribe to this feed