Kabobs with Thai Sunbutter Sauce

Who doesn't love kabobs?? I know my kids sure do. Must be the small chunks of meat or maybe that it's on a skewer (read: sword for young boys!) ... I don't know why but when we do kabobs, they disappear.

Have I told you how much I hate to cut up raw meat? I do! Particularly chicken. I can chop veggies until the day is done but meat. Yuck! And don't get me started on mixing meatloaf with my hands. EW!

Luckily, I have a sous chef (er, husband) who enjoys the chopping of raw meat to help. Otherwise, I just end up paying more at the store for premium cuts or ask for the butcher to do it for me. Lazy? Nah ... Just efficient!

So, I digress... as usual

This recipe is pretty fool-proof. You can change it up in any way that you want and it's good. The original marinade I have here used to use soy sauce but since we have soy allergies and have eliminated  grains from our diet, I found coconut aminos fits the bill just fine! If you're not following such dietary guidelines, I still recommend the coconut aminos but that's another story (soy is NOT as good for you as you think!!)

The Thai Sunbutter Sauce is something that I've developed over the last decade and have used time and again for everything from stir fries to noodle dishes (yes, back when I still ate noodles). My family isn't a big "dipping" crew but I do like to have this sauce on-hand for everything from pork to chicken and even steak kabobs. I have even been known to use the sauce as dip for sweet potato chips or carrots!

One more quick thing on this recipe ... All the amounts are totally approximate!! I never measure on this recipe but it's just too good not to share! If you need more marinade, just keep the amounts equal and you'll do just fine!

Kabobs with Thai Sun butter Sauce

Step 1 - Marinade the meat

You'll want to marinate the meat at least for an hour but overnight yields the best flavor and tenderness!

Ingredients

1/3 cup coconut aminos
1/3 cup olive oil (I use light tasting but extra virgin would be fine)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp black pepper, ground
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp onion powder (or 1/4 fresh, diced)
3# meat of choice (I use a tri tip roast or chicken)

Directions

1. Combine the above ingredients into a glass bowl or plastic storage bag.


2. Cut up your meat into even bite-sized chunks for skewers. Add to the marinade and mix well.


3. Place in the fridge for at least one hour but overnight is best!

Step 2 - Marinade / Season the veggies

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt, Himalayan pink
1 tsp black pepper, ground
Veggies of choice*

*I used 3 green peppers, 2 medium zucchinis & 1 8-oz pkg mushrooms for a family of 4 and had zero leftovers!

Directions

1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a plastic bag (or glass bowl).


2. Chop up your veggies so they are of even size.


3. Add veggies to the bag (or bowl) and combine well.


4. Place in fridge for at least one hour.

Step 3 - Make the Sauce

Note: I typically make the sauce when the kabobs are on the grill. But, if you don't feel comfortable doing two things like this at once, make this sauce in advance. It holds nicely in the fridge for a few days.

Ingredients

1/2 lime, juiced
1 T coconut aminos
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped (or 1 T dried) - optional
1/4 cup sunbutter
1/4 cup coconut milk (the stuff from the can, all mixed up)

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients in a small food processor - I use a Magic Bullet for this!


2. Blend well until combined, scraping down the sides to make sure everything is well-incorporated.


3. If it's too thick for your liking, add more milk or a bit of water (1 T at a time) to thin it out.


4. Pour into dish, cover and put into fridge until ready to eat.

Step 4 - Cook 'Em

Note: If you use bamboo skewers, they should be soaked for at least 30 min before proceeding

When ready to cook, heat up your grill.

When I do kabobs, I keep the meat on separate skewers. This is because meat & veggies have different cooking times. If you're using chicken, you don't want to undercook the chicken & overcook your veggies. That's just gross! If you follow this method, it may not produce pretty skewers alternating w/ meat and veg but everything will be cooked properly!

Put your meat on your kabob skewers and place on the hot grill. If using a gas grill, turn burners down to med-low.

Now go skewer up your veggies.

When done, go turn over your meat & then add the veggies. (The burners for the vegs should be on low)

Now, I'm NOT going to tell you how to grill your meat. I'm going to assume you already know how to do this. Right? If you need help, go HERE!

Be sure to let your meat rest before serving. I put on a plate or platter and cover with foil for about 10 minutes to rest and let the juices redistribute.

Serve and ENJOY!!