Skewers made of pork, chicken breast, and vegetables

Name: Skewers made of pork, chicken breast, and vegetables - Despina C.
Ingredients: 250 g pork tenderloin; 50 g bell pepper; 90 g onion; 150 g chicken breast; 15 g leek; 250 g new potatoes; 100 g purple potatoes; 7 g smoked paprika; smoked salt; thyme; olive oil; salt; pepper; one onion; garlic; white wine

Meat - Skewers made of pork, chicken breast, and vegetables by Despina C. - Recipia

Skewers made of pork, chicken breast, and vegetables are perfect for a grill-prepared lunch, especially when you want to cook the meat and side dish at the same time. The meat is marinated with onion, garlic, thyme, paprika, and a little white wine, then alternated on skewers with bell peppers, leeks, and red onions. I served them with baked potatoes, previously boiled in their skins to keep the inside soft while the outside gets crispy in the oven. QUICK INFO Preparation time: approximately 30-40 minutes, excluding marinating Marinating time: 1-2 hours Cooking time: potatoes boil for about 20 minutes, then bake for 25-30 minutes; skewers cook in about 15 minutes if placed on a well-heated grill Total time: approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes to 3 hours, depending on marinating time and grill position Servings: not specified exactly; in the presented recipe, two skewers are served per portion Difficulty: easy to medium Recipe type: chicken and pork skewers with vegetables, served with baked potatoes INGREDIENTS For skewers and marinade 250 g pork tenderloin 150 g chicken breast 50 g bell pepper 90 g onion 15 g leek One onion for the marinade Oil Paprika Smoked salt Salt Pepper Garlic Thyme A little white wine For potatoes 250 g new potatoes 100 g purple potatoes Olive oil Thyme 7 g smoked paprika Salt Pepper For serving Cherry tomatoes, half for each portion, according to the serving method used in the recipe PREPARATION METHOD 1. Preparing the marinade Peel the onion designated for the marinade and cut it into larger pieces. Place it in a bowl along with oil, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, and a little white wine. The quantities for oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper are not specified exactly in the original recipe, so these should be added to taste. The marinade should adequately coat the meat without being too liquid. 2. Cutting and marinating the meat Cut the pork tenderloin and chicken breast into similarly sized cubes. This way, the pieces will cook more evenly on the grill. Put the meat in the marinade and gently massage the pieces so that the spices and oil cover all surfaces. Cover the bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. It’s important not to skip this time when you can respect it. The marinade helps the meat absorb flavor, preventing the pieces from being bland and dry after cooking. 3. Boiling the potatoes Wash the potatoes and boil them in their skins for about 20 minutes. There’s no need to cut them before boiling. Once boiled, remove them from the water and let them cool enough to be peeled. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 4-6 wedges, depending on their size. The purple potatoes and new potatoes can be prepared the same way. 4. Baking the potatoes Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the potato wedges in a single layer, as much as possible. Add olive oil, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Place the tray in the oven and bake the potatoes for 25-30 minutes. The time may vary depending on the oven, so check them towards the end. They are done when soft inside and starting to brown outside. 5. Preparing the vegetables Cut the bell pepper, red onion, and leek into suitable pieces for skewers. Don’t cut them too small, as they can soften too quickly or fall off the sticks during cooking. In the presented recipe, I used red bell pepper, leek, and red onion. You can use bell peppers of various colors if you have them on hand. 6. Assembling the skewers Remove the meat from the refrigerator after marinating. Alternate pieces of pork and chicken with the prepared vegetables on the skewers. In this version, the skewers were made by alternating pork with chicken breast. You can put each type of meat on separate skewers, but it’s important that the pieces are similar in size. 7. Cooking on the grill Preheat the grill well before placing the skewers and brush the grill with oil. Place the skewers when the surface is ready for cooking. Typically, the skewers should be done in about 15 minutes, but the time depends significantly on how close they are to the flame and how hot the grill is. I placed them on a grill positioned higher up, not directly over the flame, so they needed more time. Turn them occasionally so that the meat and vegetables cook on all sides. Pay special attention to the thicker pieces of chicken and pork. If the grill is less hot, the skewers will need more time than the mentioned 15 minutes. 8. Serving Serve two skewers per portion alongside the baked potatoes. Finally, you can add half a cherry tomato, as I did in the original recipe. The potatoes add enough substance to the meal, but if you want to shorten the preparation time, you can replace them with fried potatoes. In this case, there’s no need to boil and bake them. WHY I MAKE THIS RECIPE OFTEN It’s a practical recipe when you want to use multiple types of meat and vegetables in the same meal. The marinade is quick to prepare, and the meat can marinate in the fridge while the potatoes boil. The skewers are also flexible. They can be made with both types of meat, just pork, or just chicken breast. The vegetables can be adapted based on what you have at home, without changing the preparation method. TIPS AND VARIATIONS Tips Cut the meat into similarly sized cubes. Pieces that vary greatly in size will not cook at the same time. Let the meat marinate for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator. Before cooking, the portions should be removed from the bowl and placed on skewers with the vegetables. The grill should be well heated before placing the skewers. Brush the surface with oil in advance to reduce the risk of the meat and vegetables sticking. Boil the potatoes in their skins, then let them cool before peeling and cutting. If they are very hot, they can break more easily when you cut them. The cooking time on the grill is not fixed. A grill positioned higher up from the flame will cook more slowly than one directly above the heat source. Substitutions Pork tenderloin can be used alone for the skewers, without chicken breast. Similarly, you can prepare the skewers using only chicken breast. If you don’t have new potatoes, you can use whatever potatoes are available, keeping the same boiling and baking method. The original recipe uses both new and purple potatoes. Instead of the combination of red bell pepper, leek, and red onion, you can use bell peppers of other colors and regular onion, depending on your preference. Variations You can alternate on each skewer a piece of pork, one of chicken, and one of vegetable. In the original version, the pork and chicken are placed alternately. If you want to reduce preparation time, serve the skewers with fried potatoes instead of boiled and baked ones. For a simpler version, prepare the skewers with just one type of meat and keep the vegetables between the pieces for flavor and appearance. Serving ideas Serve the skewers directly from the grill, with the baked potatoes alongside. For each portion, you can add half a cherry tomato, according to the original recipe. If you choose fried potatoes instead of baked ones, the quantity of meat and vegetables remains the same. The important thing is that the skewers are well cooked before serving. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. Can I prepare the skewers with just chicken breast? Yes. The recipe can be made with only chicken breast. Cut the meat into similarly sized cubes and keep the same marinade with onion, garlic, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, and white wine. 2. Can I use only pork? Yes. Pork tenderloin can be used alone. It is recommended to cut the pieces as uniformly as possible so that the skewers cook in a time close to that indicated in the recipe. 3. Why are the potatoes boiled before being placed in the oven? Boiling them in their skins makes them soft inside. The 25-30 minutes in the oven are sufficient to brown them and give them the flavor of thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, without waiting for them to cook completely from scratch in the tray. 4. How long do the skewers cook on the grill? Typically, about 15 minutes. If the grill is positioned higher and not directly over the flame, the time may be longer. Turn the skewers occasionally and check the thicker pieces of meat before serving. NUTRITIONAL VALUES The values are estimated and calculated for the quantities of meat, potatoes, and vegetables in the recipe. They cannot be exact, as the amount of oil used for the marinade and potatoes is not specified, and the exact number of servings is not mentioned. For a portion calculated roughly at half the total quantity: Calories: approximately 550-650 kcal Protein: approximately 45-50 g Carbohydrates: approximately 35-45 g Fat: approximately 20-30 g The values may increase if more oil is used or if the skewers are served with fried potatoes instead of baked ones. The protein comes mainly from the chicken breast and pork tenderloin, while the carbohydrates primarily come from the potatoes. STORAGE AND REHEATING Skewers are best served immediately after cooking when the meat is fresh and the vegetables have not softened too much. If there are leftovers, store them in the refrigerator in a covered container. Baked potatoes can be stored with the skewers, but they may lose their crispy texture. When reheating, warm the meat and potatoes until they are hot inside. For a better result, do not let the skewers cook too much again, as the chicken breast can dry out. If you prepare the meal in advance, it is more practical to keep the skewers and potatoes separate, then reheat them before serving.