10 Healthy Kebab Recipes To Try This Week
Photography: GEN TAYLOR
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10 Healthy Kebab Recipes To Try This Week

Once upon a time you might have grilled sausages, burgers and ribs on a BBQ – alongside the odd bit of dry chicken. But as the years have gone on, our repertoires have expanded – with many chefs coming up with healthier twists on some favourites. From monkfish skewers to crispy gnocchi on a stick, here are ten new kebab recipes worth trying out this summer…
Photography: GEN TAYLOR

Red Thai Monkfish Skewers & Grilled Pak Choi: Mindful Chef

Serves
2
Total Time
1 Hour
Ingredients
1 lime
1 pak choi
1 red chilli
2 spring onions
2 tbsp of oil
2 tbsp of red Thai curry paste
2 tsp of black sesame seeds
2 x 140g monkfish tails, diced (skin off)
400g of baby white potatoes
4cm of fresh ginger
4 skewers
Large handful of fresh coriander
Method
Step 1

Boil a kettle. Slice the baby potatoes in half. Place the baby white potatoes into a saucepan with a pinch of sea salt and cover with the boiling water. Simmer for ten to 15 minutes until tender, then drain.

Step 2

Peel and grate or finely chop the ginger. Finely chop the red chilli and the coriander leaves. Finely slice the spring onions, removing the root ends. Cut the pak choi in half lengthways and rub with one tablespoon of oil.

Step 3

In a small bowl, mix the red Thai curry paste with one tablespoon of oil. Add the diced monkfish to this bowl and coat well. Thread the monkfish through the skewers.

Step 4

Preheat a BBQ (or frying pan) and cook the monkfish skewers for ten to 15 mins, turning occasionally, until cooked through. Towards the end of cooking the skewers, place the pak choi on a BBQ (or frying pan) for two minutes each side until softened.

Step 5

Place the cooked potatoes into a large bowl, and stir through the ginger, chilli, coriander, spring onions and half of the juice from the lime. Season with a pinch of sea salt.

Step 6

Spoon the spicy potatoes onto two warm plates, top with the monkfish skewers. Sprinkle over the black sesame seeds and serve with the remaining juice from the lime.

Crispy Gnocchi On A Stick With Charred Peppers & Basil Pesto: Rukmini Iyer, The Green BBQ

Serves
3-4
Total Time
25 Minutes
Ingredients
1 x 500g packet of gnocchi
3 mixed peppers, chopped into gnocchi-sized pieces (don’t use green peppers)
2 tbsp of vegan basil pesto
3 tbsp of olive oil, plus more for brushing
A pinch of sea salt flakes
A good amount of freshly ground black peppercorns
8-12 skewers, soaked if wooden
For the dressing:
½ lemon, juice only
4 tbsp of vegan basil pesto
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of sea salt flakes
Method
Step 1

Tip the gnocchi into a bowl of just-boiled water, and leave to blanch for 2 minutes, then drain and run under cold water to cool.

Step 2

Put the gnocchi into a large bowl with the chopped peppers, vegan pesto, olive oil, sea salt flakes and freshly ground black peppercorns, and mix well to coat. At this point you could refrigerate the gnocchi until you're ready to BBQ.

Step 3

Thread the gnocchi and pepper alternately onto the skewers. Once your barbecue is good and hot, brush one side of the skewers with oil, then lay them over the BBQ at a slight angle (this stops them falling through) and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the gnocchi are crisp and brown. Brush the tops with oil, then turn over and repeat with the other side.

Step 4

Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice, pesto and extra virgin olive oil with a pinch of sea salt flakes to taste. Once the skewers are cooked through, serve immediately, with the basil dressing alongside.

Step 5

NOTE: There’s really no limit to the number of things you could pair with gnocchi on a stick – try cherry tomatoes and halloumi or tofu, or cubes of fresh fennel and halved figs. And you could use red pesto or harissa or mustard mixed through with olive oil as a marinade.

Lamb & Mushroom Skewers With Chimichurri: Just Add Mushrooms

Serves
2
Total Time
25 Minutes
Ingredients
For the skewers:
6 medium-sized closed cup mushrooms
150g of lamb neck fillet, cut into chunks
½ of a red onion, cut into 4 wedges
1 tsp of fresh chopped rosemary
Zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp of paprika
Pinch of chilli flakes
1 tbsp of olive oil
For the chimichurri:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
½-1 red chilli, deseeded & finely chopped (depending on how spicy you like it)
10g of coriander
10g of parsley
5g of oregano
2-3 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper
To serve:
Tortilla wraps, griddled
Red cabbage, shredded
Method
Step 1

In a large bowl mix the olive oil, paprika, rosemary and lemon zest. Add the mushrooms, Lamb and red onion and mix well. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Step 2

Thread onto a skewer and place on a grill tray. Pre-heat your grill and cook the skewers for about ten to 15 minutes, turning every so often.

Step 3

Whilst the skewers are cooking, make the chimichurri by simply placing the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Step 4

Grill or griddle some tortilla wraps to crisp a little, serve alongside the skewers with the chimichurri sauce, lemon wedges (use the ones you've zested) and shredded red cabbage.

Chicken/Tofu Satay With Peanut Sauce: Saphin Moore, Rosa’s Thai Café

Serves
6
Total Time
25 Minutes
Ingredients
500g chicken breast, cut into thin strips (for a vegetarian option, use 300-450g of extra firm tofu, cut into blocks)
For the marinade:
3 lemongrass stalks, chopped
4 pandan leaves, chopped (available from Asian supermarkets)
3 tbsp of galangal, chopped
150ml of coconut milk
1 tsp of turmeric
2 tsp of curry powder
1 tbsp of Thai fish sauce
3 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 tbsp of ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp of caraway seeds (use 2 tbsp of garam masala powder if you don’t have coriander and caraway seeds)
2 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
For the peanut sauce:
250ml of coconut milk
½ tbsp of red curry paste
½ tbsp of massaman curry paste
2 tbsp of palm sugar
1 tbsp of brown sugar
1 tbsp of Thai fish sauce
100ml of tamarind paste
150g of crushed roasted peanuts
Method
Step 1

Put all marinade ingredients into a blender and blitz to a smooth paste, or pound them in a pestle and mortar. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the chicken strips and mix well.

Step 2

Place the wooden skewers in water and leave to soak for about 10 minutes before cooking. This will make it easier to skewer later on.

Step 3

While the meat is marinating, make the peanut sauce by bringing the coconut milk to the boil in a small saucepan and cook until the oil rises to the surface.

Step 4

Stir in the curry pastes and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste and the roasted peanuts.

Step 5

Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture has thickened with a smooth consistency.

Step 6

Preheat a grill or griddle pan until very hot. Now is a good time to skewer the meat.

Step 7

Place the skewers on the pan or in a tray for the oven. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until fully cooked.

Step 8

Serve hot with the peanut sauce.

Teriyaki Beef Skewers With Broccoli Salad: U:Me

Serves
4
Total Time
35 Minutes
Ingredients
1 tsp of coconut oil
2-3 tbsp of dark soy sauce
1.5 tsp of brown sugar or honey
2 tsp of rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
15g of ginger, peeled and grated
165g of sirloin steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 spring onions, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp of sesame seeds, toasted
130g of tenderstem broccoli, sliced
80g of sugar snap peas, sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Method
Step 1

Whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, coconut oil, garlic and ginger in a bowl then add the beef and spring onions and set aside to marinate: it needs at least 20 minutes but if you can leave it for a few hours it’ll taste even better.

Step 2

When you’re ready to cook, preheat a griddle pan over a high heat. Drain the beef and spring onions, pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan, bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes until reduced and sticky. Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 3

Thread the beef and spring onions onto skewers, lay on the griddle and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. Set aside to rest for a couple of minutes. Brush with the teriyaki glaze and sprinkle over half of the toasted sesame seeds.

Step 4

Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat and add the 1 tsp of coconut oil. When the oil starts to smoke, throw in the broccoli and fry for 2 minutes.

Step 5

Add the sugar snaps and chilli, fry for a further 2 minutes then remove from the heat and season with any leftover teriyaki glaze.

Step 6

Stir through the remaining sesame seeds and serve with the beef skewers.

Tandoori Masala Prawn Skewers: Spice Pots

Serves
4
Total Time
40 Minutes
Ingredients
500g of prawns
1 handful of fresh coriander, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
For the marinade:
150ml of Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp of lime juice
3 tsp of Spice Pots Tandoori Masala Blend
Salt, to taste
Method
Step 1

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade in a bowl. Stir to combine well.

Step 2

Add the prawns to the marinade and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or best for two hours.

Step 3

Thread the prawns onto the bamboo skewers and grill on both sides (baste with oil to avoid them sticking), until they are cooked and slightly charred on the surface. This won't take long.

Step 4

Remove from the grill, garnish with chopped coriander and serve immediately with lime wedges.

Spiced Tenderstem Broccoli & Halloumi Kebabs: Genevieve Taylor, Charred

Serves
4
Total Time
25 Minutes
Ingredients
300g pack tenderstem broccoli, each stem halved
225g block of light halloumi, cut into finger-thick wedges
120g of cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of cumin seeds, roughly crushed
2 tsp of smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing:
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
15g of flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp of caster sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
COOK’S TIP: You’ll also need 8 skewers (preferably metal), using two skewers per kebab.
Method
Step 1

Spread the broccoli, halloumi and cherry tomatoes out on a baking sheet and brush with the olive oil. Sprinkle over the crushed cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and a generous grind of black pepper. Set aside.

Step 2

To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice and zest, olive oil, parsley and sugar, adding black pepper to taste. Set aside.

Step 3

Each kebab will use two skewers – this keeps it all secure and makes turning easy as it stops things spinning around. Take a skewer and alternately thread pieces of broccoli and slices of halloumi onto it, piercing the skewer through the end of each piece. Add cherry tomatoes between the halloumi and broccoli Once the skewer is full, thread a second skewer carefully through the other end of the pieces of broccoli and halloumi, so you end up with a double-skewered kebab. Repeat with the other skewers so you end up with four kebabs.

Step 4

Rest the skewers onto the grill bars directly over the fire. Cook for around 8-10 minutes, turning a couple of times until they are lightly charred all over and the broccoli is cooked but with plenty of bite left in it. Once grilled, transfer the skewers to a plate and drizzle over the dressing.

Summer Halloumi & Vegetable Skewers: Gemma Simmonite, Gastrono-Me

Serves
8
Total Time
40 Minutes
Ingredients
1 red onion
1 white onion
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
8 chestnut mushrooms, quartered
1 pack of halloumi, cut into small pieces
For the marinade:
125ml olive oil
75ml balsamic vinegar
1.5 tbsp of crushed garlic
1 heaped tsp of English mustard
1 tbsp of honey – if vegan swap out for maple syrup
½ tsp of chilli flakes
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of ground black pepper
10g of tomato puree
A dash or two of tabasco
Method
Step 1

Soak the wooden skewers in water for 25 minutes this will stop them burning on the BBQ.

Step 2

Make up the marinade by combining all ingredients into a jug and giving a good stir.

Step 3

To assemble the skewers, thread the vegetables onto the skewers alternating the vegetables, then brush all over with the marinade. These skewers will keep covered in the fridge overnight if you want to get ahead. Brush again before grilling on the BBQ, and again before serving as they are or inside a warmed flatbread or pitta.

Healthy Chicken Kebab: Jill Greenwood, Super Slaw

Serves
2
Total Time
25 Minutes
Ingredients
1 broccoli, cut into quarters
2 courgettes
6 olives (black or purple)
3 carrots
1 tbsp of wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of hummus
4 tbsp of cider vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
Sea salt
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 flatbreads
2 tbsp of natural yoghurt
Method
Step 1

Place the central chopping attachment into the bowl of the processor. Place the broccoli in the bowl and replace the lid. Pulse until thickly chopped, then tip into a waiting bowl.

Step 2

Add the courgettes and olives and pulse into small chunky pieces before adding to the broccoli in the bowl.

Step 3

Next, change your chopping tool to the flat ‘chopper’ blade. If you prefer, you can chop by hand, grater or a spiralizer for a ribbon effect. Feed the carrots into the opening at the top while turning the food processor on until thinly sliced. Add to the mix.

Step 4

Put the mustard, olive oil, hummus and vinegar into an empty jam jar. Put the lid on and shake vigorously. This will be a thick consistency – if you need to thin it, add a little more vinegar. Pour over the slaw and mix well. Sprinkle with the cumin and sea salt.

Step 5

Pan-fry cubed chicken pieces for 5-7 minutes, or skewer the meat and grill for 8 minutes.

Step 6

Pile the slaw and chicken on to a flat bread and top with natural yoghurt and a sprinkle of cumin.

Halloumi Kebabs With Sweet Pepper & Maple Relish: Maple From Canada

Serves
6
Total Time
40 Minutes
Ingredients
For the broad bean hummus:
425g of broad beans, fresh or frozen
1.5 ripe avocados
3 tbsp of tahini paste
3 cloves of garlic crushed
Juice of 1 lemon
15 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
3 tbsp of maple syrup
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the sweet pepper & maple relish:
1 ½ green chilli
1 ½ red pepper
1 ½ red onion
4 large tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
3 tbsp of maple syrup
35g of chopped parsley
6 tbsp of lime juice
For the halloumi kebabs:
250g of halloumi, cut into 2cm cubes
300g of chestnut mushrooms, cut into quarters
1.5 courgette, sliced into ribbons
40g of fresh mint
Olive oil, for grilling
3 tbsp of maple syrup
Method
Step 1

To make the broad bean hummus. Boil broad beans in salted water for 4-5 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Scoop out the avocado flesh and add the tahini paste, garlic, coriander and lemon juice. Add 3-4 tbsp olive oil. Place in food processor and blend until smooth. Add the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 2

To make the sweet pepper and maple relish, finely chop the chilli, pepper, onion and parsley. Add all to a food processor with the lime juice, tomatoes and maple syrup. Blend evenly until it reaches the desired consistency.

Step 3

To make the halloumi kebabs, add the courgette, mushrooms and halloumi onto the skewers and brush with olive oil. Grill over a BBQ for 2-3 minutes each side and drizzle over maple and garnish with torn mint. Serve with the relish and hummus.

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