Weeknight Pork and Vegetable Kabobs

When Laurie and I were both working full-time, cooking during the week felt like a bit of a chore. Now that we are retired, we have more time to cook during the week, but that doesn’t mean we always want to spend hours in the kitchen every night. I mean, everyone needs a break from the kitchen now and then, right? So, I’m always looking to create quick and easy recipes that can be pulled together in less than an hour. Here’s one of my favorites – pork and vegetable kabobs!

Kabobs on the grill are one of the easiest, quickest dinners to make. All you need is a protein (steak, pork, or chicken are my proteins of choice but you can also do seafood if you’d like), a few of your favorite vegetables (I like peppers, onions, and mushrooms), a store-bought sauce (I usually choose a teriyaki sauce), and some quick-cook rice to make a complete meal in less than 45 minutes! As the Barefoot Contessa always says, “How easy is that??!!”.

Another way to simplify this dish is to use different skewers for the vegetables and the protein. Most kabobs are made by alternating the protein and veggies on the skewer. While this looks great, the problem is that the vegetables cook quicker than some proteins like chicken or pork. To ensure everything is cooked properly, I make separate vegetable and meat skewers so I can cook each to the perfect temperature.

Best of all, this meal is easy clean up – wipe down the cutting board, rinse the dishes and put in the dishwasher, and you are ready to relax with that post-dinner glass of wine!

There are a few ways to enhance this dish that will add a nice depth of flavor, but it will also add a bit of preparation time as well. First, I like to cut the meat I’m using in the kabobs into large chunks and then marinade them in the sauce I’ve chosen for a few hours before putting them on the grill. Also, I like to amp up the flavor of the rice by adding herbs and spices before serving. For example, if I’m using a teriyaki sauce for the kabobs, I’ll add some fresh parsley or scallions along with some Asian spice mix into the rice.

Weeknight Pork and Vegetable Kabobs (Serves 4)

This is a simple weeknight meal that allows you to mix and match whatever vegetables and meats look best at the market or grocery store for tailored made kabobs each time! You can even select two different proteins to cook at the same time if you want to please everyone’s palate!  Also, these kabobs make great leftovers if you decide to cook a few extra for later in the week.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin (or any other kind of protein you like, such as boneless skinless chicken breast or steak (filet or NY strip do well here), cut into 1-inch square chunks

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch square pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch square pieces

1 red onion, halved and then each half quartered

8 oz. Baby Bella or white mushrooms, rinsed and dried

4 tbsp. vegetable oil

16 oz. teriyaki sauce, divided (we like Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce)

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

16 oz. quick cook rice (like Uncle Ben’s 90-second Ready Rice Packets)

Directions

Place the pork (or whatever protein you are using) chunks into a zip lock bag and add enough teriyaki sauce to coat – seal and refrigerate for one hour or up to 4 hours (you can skip this step if you want, but I think it makes the whole dish more flavorful).

Pre-heat the grill by turning all burners on high for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the cut peppers, onion, and mushrooms onto two skewers, alternating the vegetables as you go. Next, place the pork onto two skewers. Place skewers on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and coat with vegetable oil. Lightly salt and pepper each skewer as well.

Once the grill is hot, turn down the burners to medium-high heat and place the skewers on the grill. Rotate the skewers a quarter turn every 2-3 minutes, and brush with some teriyaki sauce each time you do. Grill until vegetables are browned and tender (about 10-12 minutes), and the pork is cooked to desired temperature (I usually take the pork off at 140 degrees – if you are using chicken, take it off at 160 degrees). Cover the kabobs with foil until ready to serve.

Heat up the quick cook rice in the microwave and then place in bowls. Top with the grilled vegetables and pork. Serve with additional teriyaki sauce on the side.