RECIPE: Winter Vegetable Kabobs, Thanksgiving Kabobs

RECIPE: Winter Vegetable Kabobs

December 24, 2013 at 7:17 am · Filed under Recipes, Thanksgiving & Fall, Vegan, Vegetables-Salads-Herbs

Yes, we’re past Thanksgiving, but these “Thanksgiving Kabobs” work all fall and winter and are equally fun for Christmas dinner. They may even have people who don’t like to eat vegetables asking for more!

Our friend Hannah Kaminsky of BittersweetBlog.com created “Thanksgiving kabobs” from all the classic Thanksgiving (and Christmas) accoutrements. They’re threaded onto portion-controlled, dippable skewers.

Serve them as a side with the main course; as a vegetarian meal atop a bed of mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes, or whole grains.

For a non-holiday dinner, you can add cubed turkey to the skewers for the main course.

Serve them on a platter as an appetizer

Hannah adds cubes of sourdough or sturdy cornbread to evoke stuffing.

Sweet potato can substitute for acorn or butternut squash or pumpkin.

Trimmed green beans can be added.

“These kebabs are limited only by a lack of imagination,” says Hannah.

She loves gravy for dipping on the side; the choice is yours.

[1] Winter vegetable kabobs (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

RECIPE: WINTER VEGETABLE KABOBS a.k.a. THANKSGIVING KABOBS

Ingredients

Quantities will vary depending on how many people you plan to serve and which vegetables/add-ins you choose.

Small Brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed

Butternut squash, cubed

Turkey cubes or vegan options, including seitan or tempeh

Large fresh cranberries*

Optional: mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes, whole grain (barley, brown rice, quinoa, etc.)

Optional: Gravy

[2[ If you regularly use skewers, invest in the steel variety. Unlike wood skewers, they don’t have to be presoaked and they’re sustainable: No trees are sacrificed. These are from Norpro.

For The Marinade

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons maple syrup†

2 tablespoons olive Oil

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch rubbed sage

Preparation

1. PREPARE wooden skewers by submerging them in water for at least 20 minutes. This prevents them from burning (or worse, catching fire) while in the oven. If using metal skewers, skip this step.

2. PREHEAT oven to 400°F and lightly grease a shallow baking dish that can accommodate the full length of the skewers. Thread individual vegetables on the skewers in any pattern or proportion you like. Just ensure that all your components are roughly the same size so that they cook evenly. Place the finished skewers in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. If you’re making enough for a big party, consider a second baking dish.

3. WHISK together the ingredients for the marinade and brush it generously over the skewered “meat” and veggies. If you have any leftover marinade, reserve it to baste the skewers halfway through the cook time.

4. BAKE for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables, flipping after 10 and basting if desired. The vegetables should be nicely browned and tender when done. Serve immediately over hot mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes or grains with a small bowl of gravy for dipping.

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*When selecting cranberries, look for particularly large berries and skewer them precisely in the center, as they have a tendency to wither and/or split while baking.

†Hannah prefers Grade B maple syrup in this recipe.

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