Sweet Japanese kabobs make for a quickmeal
Little work is needed to make these Japanese kabobs. Known in Japan as yakitori, they’re made with a sweet Japanese barbecue sauce. Serve the chicken over sesame-flavored rice to complete this 20-minute dinner.
In Japan, clouds of aromatic smoke waft off the grill at yakitori stands, making these chicken kabobs a popular stopping off place for an after-work snack. I’ve addedvegetables totheskewers and served it over rice to make an entire meal.
The secret to quick and even kabob cooking is to leave a little space on the skewer between each piece of chicken. This allows the chicken to cook through on all sides.
Use the sauce given in the recipe or if pressed for time, use a thick, bottled teriyaki sauce and stir in some sliced scallions.
Helpful hints:
■ Anytypeofmushrooms can be used.
■ The skewers can also be cooked in a broiler or an outdoor grill.
Countdown:
■ Make sauce and marinate chicken, mushrooms and red peppers.
■ Heat a stovetop grill. ■ Make rice.
■ Skewer and cook kabobs.
Shopping list:
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Dinner in Minutes.
To buy: 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, 1 red bell pepper, 1 small bottle low-sodium soy sauce. 1 small bottle sesame oil, 1packagemicrowaveable brown rice and 1 small bottle rice vinegar.
Staples: vegetable oil spray, sugar, salt and black peppercorns.
CHICKENANDSHIITAKE YAKITORI (JAPANESE GRILLEDCHICKEN SKEWERS)
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer Vegetable oil spray 4tablespoonslow-sodium
soysauce 4tablespoonsricevinegar 4tablespoonssugar 3/4poundboneless, skinless chickenbreast, cut into1-inchcubes 1/4poundshiitake mushrooms(about8 mushrooms) 1 redbellpepper, cut into
2-inch pieces 4skewers
Heat a stovetopgrill overhigh heat. Spray with vegetable oil spray. Mix soy sauce, rice vinegarand sugar in a small saucepan. Addchicken, mushrooms and peppers and marinate 5 minutes while making the rice. Reserving the marinade, place chicken, mushroom and redpepperon skewers, alternating until the skewers are full. Leave at least 1/4-inch space between ingredients. Place on stovetopgrill and cook5minutes turn and cook 5moreminutes.
Bring reserved marinade to aboil and cook 3minutes. Serve skewers overSesame Rice and drizzle marinade on top.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 377 calories (17 percent from fat), 7 g fat (1.2 g saturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), 126 mg cholesterol, 43.1 g protein, 32.9 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber, 1,107 mg sodium.
SESAMERICE
Recipe by Linda Gasseheimer 1packagemicrowave brownrice(11/2cups cooked) 1 tablespoonsesameoil Saltandfreshly ground blackpepper Microwave rice according to package instructions. Measure 11/2-cup rice and reserve remaining rice for another time. Addoil and salt and pepperto taste. Toss well.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 246 calories (30 percent from fat), 5.2 g fat (1.4 g saturated, 3.2 gmonounsaturated), no cholesterol, 4.2 g protein, 38.8 g carbohydrates, 2.4 g fiber, 6 mg sodium. Linda Gassenheimer is the author, most recently, of "The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook," "Delicious OnePotDishes" and "Quick and Easy Chicken." Herwebsite is dinnerinminutes.com. Follow heronTwitter @lgassenheimer.