Eat.Fit.Be.Fit – Summer Salad with Chicken Kebabs

As I sit here on my back porch watching the dogs chase their tails, I can’t help but think about my next recipe that I am planning to whip up to show you all! This week has been a crazy week, full of dentist appts., doctor appts., vet appts. and spring cleaning! What better way to get away from it all than spending some alone time in the kitchen with a cutting board, knife, and a few mixing bowls to make some scrumptious meals for Caleb and I.

I once again used the infamous “shop and chop” method with preparing this chickpea salad, as pretty much everything requires a little bit of chopping and not a lot of thinking. The shop and chop method is one I have used since my college years (long, long time ago 😉 ) which simply put as chopping all of your vegetables as soon as you get home from the grocery store. The reasoning for it? It gives me no excuse not to use them. They are ready and begging to be used, so I have less of an excuse not to put them in a dish. And the best thing with this salad is, no cooking necessary! 🙂

Now you might be thinking, Jen there is no way I can chop my veggies as soon as I get home, because then I have to go to my son’s baseball game, or pick up my daughter from soccer tryouts. Not to worry! There is always another time to get the ball rolling. Or better yet, try to schedule your shopping trip around these other obligations, so your prep can be a priority as well. Stick with a plan, and run with it!

Now onto the Kebabs. Honestly, I am not the kind of person to do the tedious task of putting meat and veggies on a stick. Not. A. Fan. But it looks good in photos, yeah? 😛 This would be great if you are hosting a small get together with some friends, easy grab, and a healthy version of what you would get at a steakhouse or the local BBQ joint.

Look at that stud, hard at work, slaving over a hot grille. But boy, he surely loves that thing. It’s got all the bells and whistles! The smoker is his favorite part of the grille, and we use it quite a bit! Our time in the kitchen is actually a great bonding experience, one we both truly enjoy, learning about each other and learning about food.

Mmmmm-mmm-mmmmm. Now that is some good looking chicken! Cooked to perfection, and all within 10 minutes! If your mouth isn’t watering now, you might be out of luck on this dish. It turned out fantastic! I for one am really looking forward to having this a few times this week 🙂 If you eat like me, and prep for multiple days, it’s gotta be good.

And that’s all she wrote folks. This concoction goes great with a small side of quinoa, a great filler with some killer fiber. Next week, you aren’t going to want to miss out, we are going with some summer favorites, potluck style! Also, if you guys end up trying out my recipes, I would love to hear how it turned out for you! Send pictures my way!

CHICKPEA SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 small bell pepper, finely chopped
• A few ribs celery and leafy tops, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated then grinded into a paste with salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped, a few sprigs
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper