Caribbean Chicken & Pineapple Kebabs with Banana Salad
A Caribbean-inspired marinade for these chicken-and-pineapple kebabs is flavored with pineapple juice, soy sauce, plenty of spices and spiked with rum. It's moderately spicy from the use of jalapeño, but not nearly as spicy as the well-known jerk marinade, which uses the extremely hot Scotch bonnet chile. If spicy-hot is not your thing, leave the jalapeño out or use half. The creamy banana salad is a soothing counterpoint, but skip it if you like. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2011
Ingredients
Marinade & Chicken
Creamy Banana Salad
Basting Sauce & kebabs
Directions
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To marinate chicken: Puree pineapple juice, rum, soy sauce, scallions, jalapeno (if using), molasses, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, ginger, curry powder, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon and allspice in a blender until smooth. Place chicken in a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag, add the marinade and turn to coat. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
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To prepare banana salad: About 20 minutes before you're ready to prepare the kebabs, combine yogurt, onion, cilantro (if using), mint, lime zest, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Gently stir in bananas and salt. Adjust seasoning with more brown sugar and/or salt, if desired.
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To prepare basting sauce & kebabs: Preheat a gas grill to medium or prepare a medium-heat fire in a charcoal grill. (No grill? See Broiler Variation.)
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Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and stir in brown sugar and mustard; bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce is reduced by about half, 6 to 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, thread the chicken onto 6 skewers, alternating with pineapple and onion pieces.
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Grill the kebabs, basting with the basting sauce and turning frequently, until the chicken is firm to the touch, 10 to 16 minutes total. (If flare-ups occur as you baste, use a squirt bottle to put them out or move the kebabs away until the flame dies down.) Serve the kebabs with the banana salad.
Tips
Equipment: 6 (12- to 14-inch) skewers
Broiler Variation: Position a rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Coat a broiler pan (or a wire rack set on a large baking sheet) with cooking spray. Broil the skewers, turning once, until the chicken is firm to the touch, 7 to 9 minutes per side.
People with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity should use soy sauces that are labeled "gluten-free," as soy sauce may contain wheat or other gluten-containing sweeteners and flavors.
Nutrition Facts
1 1/2 fruit, 1/2 other carbohydrate, 3 lean meat
