Asian Style Tempeh Kabobs

Grilling always brings to mind flames, smoke, and sizzling hunks of meat. While this gets me quite excited, there are days (usually immediately after I've gorged myself on the aforementioned) where I'd like to pass on the beef and stick to something healthier. On one such evening we were in a hurry to eat and I needed a dinner that would come together quickly. Since we always have tempeh on hand, I grabbed a package out of the fridge and then started rummaging around to see what else might jump out at me.

Soon a pineapple, red bell pepper, and button mushrooms landed on the counter and tempeh kabobs were born. I raided the pantry to create a sauce that incorporated a tropical-Asian flavor into the kabobs, and luckily had the presence of mind to measure out what I was doing so I could share it here!

My favorite way to quickly marinate items for the grill is to throw everything in a large Ziploc bag and gently squish it around a few times. It's quick, it's easy, and there are no dishes required! After letting all the ingredients hang out in the bag for 30 minutes, I placed the kabobs on the grill and in 10 minutes they were done. Dinner in under an hour. If you are new to tempeh I recommend starting out with this recipe for orange glazed tempeh as it will introduce you to tempeh in a milder way. However if you enjoy the flavor of tempeh and don't mind it front and center then these kabobs are a delicious way to have a quick summer meal.

Asian Style Tempeh Kabobs (Printable Recipe)
Serves 2

Ingredients:

Marinade
3 Tablespoons Grapefruit juice
3 Tablespoons Orange juice
1 Tablespoon Seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Fish sauce
2 teaspoons Sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chile oil
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced

Kabobs
8 oz package of tempeh, cut into 1/2" squares
1 Red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1" chunks
1 cup pineapple chunks
8 oz brown mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (optional, garnish)
6 Wooden or metal skewers

Directions:

Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat (about 400-500 degrees). If using wooden skewers, place them in water to soak while assembling the meal.

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, place all marinade ingredients. Seal the bag closed, and shake a few times to mix up the marinade. Place all tempeh squares, bell pepper, pineapple, and mushrooms into the bag and seal again. Shake and gently squish the bag until the ingredients are well covered with the marinade. Set bag on the counter for 30 minutes, turning and shaking it occasionally.

Remove skewers from water if soaking, and thread kabob ingredients onto each skewer, alternating between ingredients for visual variation.

Place kabobs on the grill, and cook for 4 minutes on one side. Baste the kabobs with any remaining marinade in the bag. Turn kabobs over to cook the other side for another 4 minutes. Once all sides are cooked, remove from heat. Sprinkle the kabobs with sesame seeds if desired and serve.