Sizzling Kebab Recipes

We switch up the peanut butter in a classic satay sauce for almond butter and add Thai red curry paste, a powerhouse condiment made up of nearly 14 ingredients including fresh ginger, lemongrass, and chiles. Don’t worry about the extra coconut milk in the can; you’ll use it up in the following recipe. Soaking the skewers for 10 to 20 minutes will keep them from burning on the grill pan. You can also use metal skewers.

Making your own spice blend is worth it. For starters, salt is the main ingredient in jarred spice blends. Making your own lets you control the sodium and use fresh ingredients. You can make the kebabs and buttermilk mixture a day ahead and refrigerate until you're ready to cook.

Street vendors in Peru sell anticuchos (grilled meat skewers) made with beef hearts. If you're not feeling that adventurous, sirloin works well, too. Either way, the real star is ground aji amarillo, made from Peru's medium-hot, sunny-yellow chile pepper. It shows up in both the spice rub and the sauce for the beef, lending a subtle floral aroma and radiant yellow color.

Cubes of boneless leg of lamb marinated in fresh onions, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil beautifully complements fragrant rice seasoned with saffron, mint, and cilantro. For chelo, the rice is parboiled, and then fried in a pan, covered with a cloth, and steamed with butter and salt, creating a crispy, golden crust on the bottom. We cut back on the butter and salt, but the rice still forms a good crust, known as tah dig. Use a nonstick pan here so you can invert the whole pan of rice and show the golden brown crust.

A sweet-tangy-spicy glaze of Asian pantry staples caramelizes beautifully under the broiler. To complete the meal, serve with jasmine rice tossed with sliced green onions and lime rind strips.

Blueberries are the standout ingredient for the sweet and sour sauce that accompanies these grilled kebabs. We used cilantro, basil, and parsley, but you can omit the cilantro. You can also serve this salsa on small toasts spread with creamy Camembert or tangy goat cheese.

Cooked quinoa acts as a binder for these kebabs, packing them with extra protein and some whole-grain goodness.

Kufta is the Hebrew word for meatball, similar to Lebanese kofta or Greek kefta. Ground sumac has a reddish-purple color and lemony flavor, a great addition to spice rubs and vinaigrettes. If you can't find it, substitute 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind.

Chicken tossed in lemon juice and Greek yogurt gives these kebabs a creamy, dreamy, zesty flavor the whole family will love.

Over the last decade, Peruvian cuisine has come into Los Angeles' Latin American-dominated food scene, and it has come in swinging. It didn't just bring its famous sashimi-like ceviches; it also brought the Peruvian tradition of yakitori-like anticucho skewers. The brushed-on sauce, loaded with plenty of Peru's bright, fruity, yellow aji pepper, makes these skewers practically habit-forming. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Look for aji amarillo paste, a spicy Peruvian seasoning made from yellow chile peppers, in Latin markets. It's wonderful in marinades and meat rubs.

Marjorie Meek-Bradley of Ripple relies on fish sauce to bring a new dimension to marinades and vinaigrettes. She finds that this salty pantry staple is especially appealing in crisp salads. "Fish sauce creates this exotic Thai flavor without being overpowering," she says.

Sticking to low-ingredient meals helps keep your dish in check when following a clean-eating diet. This six-ingredient dish delivers big taste with minimal fuss. Start marinating the chicken in the morning to make prep time quick and easy in the afternoon. Serve the salad on a bed of bulgur for a twist on tabbouleh and a fiber boost. If parsley salad isn't your thing, try a spinach salad instead. This is the perfect clean-eating dish for summer.

Loads of flavor come from a simple combo of olive oil, garlic, and reduced white wine that serves as both a basting liquid and a dressing for the herbaceous salad.

While this recipe is almost completely clean, the marinade calls for brown sugar. For an easy sugar substitution, replace 1½ teaspoons of maple syrup for the 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. If you enjoy heat, consider adding an additional jalapeno or two to the salsa, as a few of our heat-loving readers suggested; they also suggested trying a different variety of fruits in the salsa to mix up the flavor. This versatile clean eating marinade works well on salmon, too. If you're limited on time, skip the skewering and grill the chicken breasts whole. Serve this clean-eating chicken main dish with a green salad.

Coming in at under 200 calories per serving, this colorful grilled summer dish is perfect for a light picnic on the patio. Sautéed chard makes a simple side.