Rosemary Lemon Scented Chicken Kebabs

When I think of summer, I think light, fresh, flavorful and easy. No one wants to spend too much time in a kitchen. The fresh and aromatic flavor of the rosemary mixed with a zesty lemony flavor just creates a wonderful explosion on my taste buds.

Photography by Robert Demetrius

These are the ingredients you will need for the kebabs:

4 chicken breasts, weighing about 2 pounds

16 cherry tomatoes

½ a red onion, cut in half then cut in quarters

1 green sweet pepper, cut into 16 pieces

8 12-inch bamboo skewers, which should be soaked for an hour before use

1 lemon cut in wedges

olive oil for drizzling

For the marinade:

1/3 cup of olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cloves garlic minced

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

Chicken Breast Cut in Pieces

Start by cutting the chicken breast in 1½-inch pieces. I made sure I got 24 pieces so that each skewer would have 4 pieces of juicy chicken. 

Olive Oil, Lemon Zest, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Rosemary, Salt and Pepper

Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, zest of 1 lemon, 4 cloves of garlic, minced, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, 1/3 cup of olive oil and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Make sure that all pieces are well covered with the marinade.

Chicken Pieces Well Covered with Marinade

Marinate the chicken pieces for 3½ hours, so that the flavors of the rosemary, lemon and garlic are well infused into the meat. Toss the marinating chicken pieces again half way through.

An hour before assembling the kebabs, soak the bamboo skewers in water. This can be debated, whether to soak or not, but I tend to soak my bamboo skewers, I find the meat doesn’t take on the woody taste of the skewer.

About 15 minutes before use, take the marinating chicken out of the fridge just to take the chill off.

Cutting Red Onion in Quarters

Rinse the cherry tomatoes and pat them dry. Cut half of the onion, lengthwise in half again, then cut in quarters so you have 8 quarters.

Sweet Peppers

Cut the green sweet pepper in 1 inch pieces.

Assembly Line of Sweet Peppers and Tomatoes

Assemble your tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions and chicken in a line so that it’s easy to skew.

Preheat oven to 500°Fahrenheit.

Brushing Remaining Marinade on the Kebabs

Drizzle olive oil on an aluminum foil lined sheet. You can assemble the kebab they way you would like, I chose to start with the onions, then a piece of chicken, a piece of green sweet pepper, then another piece of chicken, a cherry tomato, then a piece of chicken, repeating the process, till each skewer is finished. Place the kebabs on the sheet and brush the remaining marinade on the entire skewer so that the vegetables get the entire juicy flavor as well.

Bake for 7 minutes on either side and then a final 1 minute on high broil so it gets a beautiful color.

Drizzling Kebabs with Olive Oil

Cut a lemon in quarter wedges. Plate 2 skewers on each plate with a wedge of lemon. Just before you dig in, squeeze some lemon juice on the kebabs and drizzle with olive oil and enjoy immediately. This serves for 4. Voilà. The chicken will be nice and juicy. If you have any leftovers, it can be served cold over a tossed salad.

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Spaghetti with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Shrimp

The sauce for this pasta is done in three steps, with 3 components, roasted cherry tomatoes, spicy tomato sauce and shrimp.

Using the stems of basil only, I infused the spicy tomato sauce for a more intense basil flavor than just adding the basil leaves just before serving. Adding sambal bajak, a very spicy ground chili and garlic oil paste of Asian origin, which should be used very sparingly as it really is extremely hot in taste, brought the desired heat and spiciness that I wanted for this sauce. Plump and tender shrimp gave added bite and texture. Adding the basil leaves just before serving, brought freshness and vibrant color to finish the pasta.

Photography by Robert Demetrius

For the roasted cherry tomatoes:

3 pints cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sambal bajak, which can be found in the ethnic aisle of the grocery store or any Asian store

2 basil stems, free of leaves

9 large basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

For the shrimp:

1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper from the pepper mill

For the pasta:

12 ounces spaghetti

1 gallon water

1 tablespoon salt

Cherry Tomatoes

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

To start, pre-heat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit. While the oven is warming up, rinse, drain and dry the cherry tomatoes, as they will take 20 to 25 minutes to roast. Pour the 3 pints of cherry tomatoes on a large baking sheet, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, making sure that all the tomatoes are covered with the oil and salt, so use your hands if necessary to give them a good toss before placing the sheet in the oven. If you see the skin bursting sooner than 20 minutes, remove the cherry tomatoes from the oven, as you don’t want them over done and mushy.

Fill a large pot that can easily hold a gallon of water and 1 tablespoon of salt, bringing it to a boil. This will take about 18 minutes, if covered and boiled at high heat, so you have time to start prepping the rest of the ingredients.

As the cherry tomatoes are roasting in the oven and the water is heating, start shelling and deveining 1 pound of shrimp, if they were not already shelled and deveined and set a side. Then start mincing 2 cloves of garlic.

Heat a large skillet at medium heat. While waiting for the skillet to heat, check the pot of boiling water, because at this point, the water could be boiling, is so, add 12 ounces of spaghetti and cook until al dente which should take about 10 minutes.

Your skillet should be nice and toasty at this point. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan, making sure the bottom is completely covered with oil, moving the pan around to ensure the oil slides all round. Add the shrimp, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper from the pepper mill and cook shrimp for 1 minute on either side before taking out of the pan. 


Turn the heat down to medium low, using the left over oil and bits in the pan, add 2 more tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped, 1 teaspoon sambal bajak and 2 tablespoons tomato paste to the pan, stirring for two minutes before adding 1 cup chicken broth, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 basil stems, free of leaves and simmer for 5 minutes at low heat before adding the shrimp back to the pan. The sauce will start reducing to a thicker consistency.

While the sauce is simmering, drain the pasta, remove the roasted cherry tomatoes from the oven and slice 9 large basil leaves, that you stack on top of each other, rolling tightly together, slicing in fine slices, which will be tossed with the spaghetti just before serving.

Spicy Tomato Sauce with Basil Stems

Once the pasta has been drained, the roasted cherry tomatoes are out of the oven, the sauce should be finished. Remove the basil stems and discard. Add the shrimp and roasted cherry tomatoes and toss gently in the sauce.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Spicy Tomato Sauce and Shrimp

In a large serving bowl, pour the drained spaghetti, top with the spicy tomato and shrimp sauce and the finely sliced basil. Toss and voilà. A beautiful, simple and quick dish. Serves 4. Compliment this with a glass of wine and you are on your way. Buon appetito!

Spaghetti with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Shrimp

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Baby Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes, Pine Nuts and Pancetta Salad with Warm Goat Cheese

Baby arugula, tossed with cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, crispy bits of pancetta and lemony vinaigrette. I like to call it a sunny, summery salad with a composition of textures and flavors…

Baby arugula has a tiny peppery bite, not as sharp as the regular arugula, the juicy tangy taste of the cherry tomatoes when they burst on your tongue and the creamy, buttery, lightly toasted pine-nuts, the salty but crisp pancetta bits, then a bang of summer hits you with the lemon vinaigrette. Place the golden brown slices of goat cheese on top of the baby arugula salad and there is an elegant yet simple meal. Why not grill a nice piece of snapper or salmon and serve along side the salad? Throw in a crusty piece of french bread and a glass of white wine...hmmm, now that’s a good meal!

Photography by Heaven on Hearth

Baby Arugula, Cherry Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad

4-ounce bag of baby arugula

¼ cup (2 ounces) pine nuts, toasted over low heat for about 2 ½ minutes. The heat brings out the buttery, creamy, nutty flavor and smell.

¼ cup breadcrumbs with finely chopped parsley, to give the coating a bit of color and texture.

2 slices (4 ounces), ¼ inch thick each of pancetta, diced, then sautéed until nice and crispy in the frying pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. No oil is required as the pancetta has enough fat. Once done, place on a paper towel so that the excess oil is absorbed. If pancetta is not available, bacon can do the trick just as well.

16 cherry tomatoes or ¾ cup, halved.

For the vinaigrette
1 garlic clove, finely grated

½ teaspoon of lemon zest

3 tablespoons of lemon juice

a pinch of salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Mix the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper together first, then add the olive oil until you have an emulsion.
I have to admit, I love my dressing more on the tangy and sour side.

4-ounce roll of chèvre (soft goat cheese) cut in ¾ inch slices

1 egg, slightly beaten

a pinch of salt for the egg

1 cup of bread crumbs, I like a lot to work with, and a handful of parsley, which you need to chop finely or chunky if you wish, that a personal preference

3 tablespoons of olive oil

In a shallow bowl, beat the egg, adding a pinch of salt. In another bowl, pour the breadcrumbs and mix in the parsley. Set the bowls side by side so it’s easier to work with. Dip the pieces of chèvre into the beaten egg, then coat liberally with the breadcrumb mixture. In a heated nonstick skillet, pour the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, fry gently for about 1-½ minutes, about 30 – 40 seconds on each side or until golden brown.

Once done, toss all the salad ingredients together, vinaigrette being the last, then serve on a plate and put 1 to 2 slices of the golden chèvre on top. Voila! How easy was that?

Don’t be afraid of using a variety of leaves and experimenting with anything that’s in your fridge or pantry. Bring a beautiful summer day into your home everyday with an easy salad.

Have fun with your scrumptious salads and remember, always try to make them your own!

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