Hawaiian Teriyaki Shish Kabobs Two Ways (with Field Roast or Beef and Chicken Sausage)

Ours is a home divided. Or, I guess more specifically, a barbecue divided.

As is the case in many backyards across America, my guy is the lord of the grill. I mean, I know how to use it. Okay, fine, I’m ashamed to admit he showed me how to operate it last summer. Then I promptly forgot.

And so that silver behemoth gracing our patio? Totally his domain. And totally at odds with itself. On the left, an assortment of tossed veggies, Field Roast “sausages,” and the odd veggie burger. The right: meatopia, where steak and bratwurst reign.

To the left of the BBQ sits a bowl of pristine, would-never-deign-to-touch-meat marinade and its virgin brush. On the right, another batch of basting goods – these nice and thoroughly meat-tainted.

He understands a little better now, but at the beginning, my guy didn’t really “get” the vegetarian thing. He also didn’t need to. He knew it was important to me that my vegetarian vittles never touch meaty anything. And that was all he needed to know, because he is awesome like that.

And so, one grill, divided, became the name of the game. It’s a little more work and a few more dishes, sure, but the freshly grilled food and the feelings of goodwill that emerge make it well worth the effort.

One favorite meal-on-the-two-sided-grill? Shish kabobs. Because they’re made individually and easily segregated, they’re yet another foodstuff perfectly designed for our one-recipe-two-ways point of view.

Meat and non-meat shish kabobs placed dangerously close to one another for photographic purposes only

An assortment of snappy veggies – colorful bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, sweet onion wedges. Fresh hunks of pineapple. Generous slices of Field Roast for me. Marinated petite sirloin chunks plus spicy chicken sausage for him. And then the best part: a kicky Hawaiian teriyaki marinade to glaze the heck out of ’em while they cook.

And! Bonus – the recipe makes just enough marinade so that you can reserve some to make a quick teriyaki sauce that’s perfect for drizzling over your fresh-off-the-grill kabobs and a mound of fluffy white rice.

Yeah, our grill may be living a double life, but it allows us to gather ’round the table as one. Proof positive, I think, that a little compromise and a lot of love go a long, long way.

Prep: 3 hrs

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 3 hrs 15 mins

Hawaiian Teriyaki Shish Kabobs Two Ways (with Field Roast or Beef and Chicken Sausage)

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A sweet and savory marinade adds flavor to colorful bell peppers, button mushrooms, sweet onion wedges, and fresh hunks of pineapple plus slices of Field Roast for the vegetarian or vegan; sirloin and chicken sausage for the meat-eaters. Note: This recipe requires some make-ahead steps, so please be sure to read through the directions before starting the recipe!

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Yield: 6

Ingredients

Hawaiian teriyaki marinade and sauce:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice + 1/2 cup pineapple juice (divided)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 4 medium cloves garlic (minced (about 1 tablespoon))
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root (about one thumb-sized hunk)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Shish kabobs:

• 1/2 pound white button mushrooms (wiped clean with a damp paper towel)
• 1 small green bell pepper
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (about half a small pineapple)
• 1 medium sweet onion (cut into large wedges (cut in half, then quarters, then eighths))
• Cooked rice to serve alongside (if desired)

Optional addition for vegetarian shish kabobs:

• 1 Field Roast "sausage" link (I like the smoked apple sage flavor for this recipe, cut into 1-inch slices)

Add for meat-eaters:

• 1/2 pound petite sirloin (cut into 1-inch square chunks)
• 1 sausage of your choice (my guy likes Aidell's pineapple bacon chicken sausage, cut into 1-inch slices)

Equipment:

• 12 12- inch wood/bamboo skewers
• Outdoor bbq or grill pan

Instructions

Make the marinade and sauce:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vegetable oil, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, brown sugar, sherry, garlic, ginger, and dry mustard until blended. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for basting and marinating.
• Place the remaining marinade in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup pineapple juice and heat over medium heat, uncovered, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Stir cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. As soon as it comes to a boil, whisk in cornstarch and water, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then refrigerate in a sealed container until ready to serve.

Marinate the beef, if using:

• Place cut-up steak in a quart-size or larger zip bag. Pour 1/2 cup of marinade over the steak and seal well, swishing the meat and marinade to help ensure even coverage. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (up to 12 hours).

Make the shish kabobs:

• Soak the skewers. Fill a long baking dish about 1/3 full with water and lay skewers in the water. Allow to soak for about 15 minutes. This helps prevent the skewers from burning once on the grill.
• Carefully thread veggies, pineapple, and Field Roast or meat onto skewers in whatever order you like. I like to use bell peppers on the ends because they help keep everything on.
• Heat your grill to about 350 - 375 degrees (medium direct heat). Place shish kabobs on grill. Baste with the reserved marinade (segregating portions for meat/non-meat kabobs if desired). Cook, turning occasionally to help ensure even cooking and continuing to baste occasionally, for about 15 minutes until vegetables are tender and meat is cooked through.
• Serve with rice (if desired) and teriyaki sauce for dipping/drizzling as desired.

Notes

Note: If you're using beef for the meat-eaters, it will need to marinate for at least two hours before you begin.