what's for dinner?

this one takes advantage of a lot of the stuff in season right now.

for the kabobs:

1/2 lb meat (i used chicken tonight, but beef or lamb would work equally well. i suppose you could use turkey, but that would be pushing the authenticity limits)
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 pt cherry tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
fresh oregano, basil, and parsley
3 cloves of garlic (i like garlic)
salt and pepper
skewers (i have bamboo, you could easily use metal. i've even heard of using the stems from the herbs)

for the rice:
1 cup uncooked rice (i used basmati because that's the only rice i happen to keep in the house)
whole cardamoms, coriander seeds, peppercorns, and a bay leaf
butter

1. cut the meat into roughly 1 inch cubes. crush the garlic and chop the herbs.

2. in a dish or plastic bag, mix together the oil, vinegar, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. put in the meat cubes to marinate.

3. make the rice. put a little butter in the pot you are going to use for the rice and turn the heat up to high. when the butter is melted and foamy, add the rice and stir it around until the grains are coated. then add 2 cups of water and the spices and cover. as soon as the water boils, turn the heat down to low.

4. cut the pepper and onion into 1 inch pieces.

5. thread the marinaded meat, onion and pepper pieces, and the whole cherry tomatoes onto the skewers.

6. cook the kabobs under a broiler at 400F or on a grill. if you use the grill, coat the kabobs in the marinade while cooking. i happened to use the broiler tonight, and i put some extra olive oil in the tray under the kabobs.

7. pull most of the spices out of the rice, especially the bay leaf. do not eat these. you will regret a mouthful of whole peppercorns or cardamom pods.

8. eat everything else. yay!

boom.

i continue to be amazed that my cellphone actually takes decent pictures of fireworks.