Keep Home Fires Burning with Kabobs

The official start of the grilling season may still be two months away, but that’s not going to stop Tom and Teresa Price from enjoying tender, corn-fed beef or succulent chicken kabobs.

The Prices recently returned home from a week-long vacation in Hawaii where they “got a taste of summer.”  They enjoyed walking along the white sand beaches, relaxing at the beach, surfing and observing local flora and fauna.

Whale watching in Hawaii was a highlight for the Prices

“Whale watching was definitely our favorite activity.  We went on a large catamaran and just had a blast,” says Teresa, who enthusiastically shared the highlights of the time they spent on Maui.  “We also got to watch whales each morning while we had coffee together on our patio. We are in awe of those huge, beautiful creatures!”

Now that they’ve returned to their rural landscape, the Prices are looking forward to the return of spring and the anticipation of warmer days ahead.  Teresa, who has worked since 1983 as a loan assistant at Farmers Trust & Savings Bank in Buffalo Center, is eager to take her morning coffee on the patio.  Meanwhile, Tom is busy preparing for the upcoming planting season and delivering seed to his customers.

Tom became a Latham® dealer in 2009 when his sister and brother-in-law, Connie and John Pederson of Ledyard, retired after 25 years in the seed business.  He says it’s been a good complement to his own farming operation and trucking business.

Partnering with farmers to increase their productivity and profitability is important to Tom.  He’s most excited about the new seed technologies, including Latham Hi-Tech Soybeans with the Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® (RR2) technology. He saw a five-bushel advantage with the RR2 beans he produced in 2010 and is eager to plant even more acres to RR2 soybeans this year.

Tom and Teresa Price and family

Once the 2011 crop is in the ground, Tom and Teresa look forward to relaxing with their friends and family.  They’re the proud parents of three sons and the proud grandparents of five – with grandbaby #6 scheduled to arrive on April 7.  The Prices’ oldest son, 35-year-old Derick, and his wife, Kim, eagerly await the arrival of their new little bundle of joy who will join their 4 ½-year-old son, Landon, and 2 ½ year-old daughter, Olivia.  The Prices’ middle son, 32-year-old Lucas, and his wife, Ileana, are the parents of 10-year-old Isaiah and two daughters, Amilicia, 2 1/2, and Tatiana, 1.  The Prices’ 19-year-old son, Brent, is currently a freshman at Iowa State University.

These new “empty nesters” look forward to the end of the school year when Brent returns home for the summer and their older children return home for a visit.  When they all gather, they’ll enjoy a home-cooked meal.  One of Teresa’s favorite go-to recipes is kabobs.  Meal prep is quick and easy, which allows more time to enjoy family time.

“Many years ago, Tom and I tried shish-ka-bobs from a stand at the Renaissance Festival.  They were so good that we went home and experimented until we found something that we liked equally as well,” she says.  “After several tries, we found an easy fix.  It’s so easy that I can’t really call it a recipe, but it is something that our whole family loves.”

After their recent trip to the Hawaiian islands, the Prices are looking forward to trying a “taste of Hawaii” in their own backyard.  Below is a new recipe they’re eager to try.

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Photo from Allrecipes.com
Yield: 8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
• skewers

Directions

1. In a shallow glass dish, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic powder.
2. Stir the chicken pieces and pineapple into the marinade until well coated.
3. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
5. Lightly oil the grill grate.
6. Thread chicken and pineapple alternately onto skewers.
7. Grill 15 – 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until chicken juices run clear.

Marinated Steak Shish Kabobs Recipe

Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

Other ingredients:

• 1-2 pounds sirloin or flank steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Red onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces
  

---

Instructions

Directions:

• Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl or container.
• Place pieces of steak in the marinade and pierce with a fork to allow juices to soak into the meat.
• Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least three hours (the longer the better!).
• Let skewers soak in water for up to 30 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning.
• After meat has marinated, slide alternating pieces of meat, onion, bell pepper and mushrooms onto skewers.
• Heat grill to medium-high heat and grill for 8-10 minutes, or until done.