Test kitchen days. Fun, tasty and busy. Did I mention fun? Oh and tiring, too.
We have been busy developing recipes for our new cookbook, The Big Book of Babycakes Cake Pop Recipes, due out in the fall. (Robert Rose, Inc.) (It and another new cupcake maker recipe book will join 175 Best Babycakes Cupcake Maker Recipes and 175 Best Babycakes Cake Pop Maker Recipes. ) It is such fun to cook up new ideas and experiment with new recipes. We love it because we get to work together and the room is filled with laughter, wonderful aromas and yummy tastes.
We thought you might like to see some photos of a recent day in the test kitchen.
We baked lots of cake pops. Cakes of every imaginable flavor, plus biscuits, muffins, and doughnuts. Then we tested appetizers—savory morsels, cheesy bites, scrumptious meatballs and more. (We are excited about this new book!)
We have a great test kitchen team! For this book, Julie Bondank, Mandy Totoro and Amy Dowell—are all wonderful assistants that come in to help us. Shown above is Julie Bondank with Roxanne. Below is Kathy with Mandy Totoro.
After a day in the test kitchen, we go home and just like you after a busy day, we are faced with dinner time. I want a big glass of ice tea, a calm table and a healthy dinner. In fact, the dinner I crave on those nights would be great any night. It is so quick and easy and tastes so fresh. My hubby tends the grill, while I toss a salad and enjoy the iced tea. Even if you don’t spend a day in the test kitchen, this easy dinner might be the perfect meal for you after a busy day. Enjoy.
Lemon Herb Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs
Vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, as desired
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 cloves minced garlic
Cut desired vegetables into evenly-sized pieces. For zucchini or yellow squash, half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch slices. For red onion, cut into 3/4-inch wedges. Trim mushrooms. Place prepared vegetables into a zip-top bag.
Cut chicken into 3/4-inch cubes and place in another zip-top food bag.
Stir together olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, salt and garlic. Spoon about 1/4 cup of lemon-herb mixture over the chicken. Seal bag and shake to coat evenly. Spoon about 1/4 cup of lemon-herb mixture over the vegetables. Seal bag and share to coat evenly. Refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining lemon-herb mixture.
Preheat grill or allow coals to burn down to white ash. Drain meat and vegetables. Thread chicken onto skewers; set aside. Thread vegetables onto other skewers.
Grill chicken and vegetable skewers over medium-high coals, turning to brown evenly, for about 10 minutes or until chicken registers 165°F and meat is no longer pink inside and vegetables are tender as desired. Brush frequently with reserved lemon herb mixture during cooking.
Makes 4 servings.
Tips: By threading the chicken and the vegetables on separate skewers it is easy to cook both the chicken and vegetables to perfection—removing each when they are nicely done. I use metal, 12-inch skewers. If you use bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes before threading chicken and vegetables onto them so they don’t burn on the grill.
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