Sweet & Tangy Veggie Kabobs

One of my favorite parts of grilling season is grilled veggies. Marinate them and grill 'em up til they get a nice light char - eating your vegetables has never been so easy. You can plan to spend a lot of prep time on any kabob dish so take this into account when preparing for dinner: you'll need to wash and cut your veggies, marinate them, and then the oh-so tedious task of skewering them. But when it's done, you'll be thankful for such a yummy feel-good dish.

Summertime makes me think of crisp, light white wines. Most of these will pair great with this veggie selection.  Reach for a bottle of Pinot Grigio, Muscadet, or Sauvignon Blanc ... or plan ahead the day before and make a pitcher of white sangria (so you can get your daily servings of fruit, too, of course).

Happy grilling!

What you need:
Sweet & Tangy Marinade:
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp dried cilantro
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Kabobs:
10 oz white button mushrooms
10 oz mini bell peppers (or if you can't find, 2 bell peppers, cut into wedges)
1 vidalia onion, cut into chunks
12 cherry tomatoes
12 pineapple chunks


What you do:
1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times to combine or whisk in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Prepare veggies, making sure to rinse as needed and allow to dry. Pour into a shallow dish (except pineapple) and cover with marinade.
3. Refrigerate covered for 2-4 hours.
4. Assemble kabobs on skewers, number of skewers needed will vary depending on size.
5. Cook on grill until veggies lightly charred and tender.

Tips: Try not to skewer more than 3 layers of the onion together or they will not cook through and will retain a strong raw onion flavor. Also, soak skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before assembling & cooking to prevent burning.