Marinated Lamb Kabobs

Kabobs! I have fond memories of summer and shish kabobs as a child. I was in the mood for something different this week which led me to buy some lamb. Then I thought, "why not marinate the lamb?" That then led to, "hmm, why not marinate some veggies, too?" Figured I may as well skewer 'em all together for a fun, colorful treat.

(This recipe yielded about 12 skewers. I used 12" bamboo skewers.)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1.5lb lamb, cut into chunks for skewering
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 8oz package baby bella mushrooms, peeled and stems removed (cut some of the bigger mushrooms in half to try to keep them all around the same size)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (try antique or heirloom)

1. Marinate your meat a few hours in advance (or leave it marinating in the fridge overnight). In a small bowl, whisk together the first 9 ingredients. Put the marinade and lamb chunks together in a zipper bag, seal, and massage the marinade into the meat.
2. If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30min to prevent scorching on the grill.
3. Begin threading your skewers, alternating meat and different veggies. Try to keep your veggies about the same size as each other (you may have to split up some of the onion wedges if they are too thick). Brush the skewers with the remaining marinade making sure to coat the veggies well.
4. Grill a few minutes each side until the tomatoes are blistered and lamb is cooked through.

Tips for variations:

1. Leave the meat off and use the marinade to grill some veggie skewers as just a side dish.
2. Add other vegetables like zucchini or eggplant to the mix.
3. Try using special sea salts like smoked or black lava to enhance the flavor.
4. Sprinkle with a few pinches of herbes de provence before grilling.
5. No grill? No problem! Place kabobs in a roasting pan on an oven-safe rack and bake at 425F for roughly 12-15 minutes. No need to turn them over provided there is at least 1 inch of space between the bottom of the pan and the rack.