Momma Told Me: Citizen Chef: How I Fake Fresh Grilled Hawaiian Shish Kabobs

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Citizen Chef: How I Fake Fresh Grilled Hawaiian Shish Kabobs

simmer sauces
***I was sent product sample, from Citizen Chef, for a feature here on Momma Told Me. Regardless, no other compensation was provided and all photos and content contained there in is copyright Momma Told Me 2013.
Momma Told Me: Cook with creativity.

When I was a child I wanted to do everything Momma did. From an early age I was attached by the hip, impatiently peering over kitchen counter tops to meticulously study how she would cook. To me, there were few things more magical than how Momma would turn boring ingredients into a mouth watering meal. And, when I grew old enough to hold cognitive conversations, and maintain my own personality, we began to watch our favorite channel together, the Food Network. Second only to Mystery Science Theater 3000 was our delight to play reruns of Iron Chef (the original dubbed Japanese episodes) on mute and voice over the flamboyant Chairman and judges with ridiculous commentary. I tell you this, because that is where I learned you must be resourceful in the kitchen. Sure a Japanese gentleman in Liberace style clothes doesn't burst into your kitchen with a table full of bizarre ingredients, though sometimes I open my fridge and certainly feel that way, but managing time and money when cooking can present it's own unique challenges.

In the home chef community there is much debate about cooking from scratch vs. using found ingredients (pre-made sauces, prepared meats, etc). Well, in my kitchen I am simply cooking for my friends and family. I don't have to worry about being voted off, or scorned on Yelp (my establishment is a privately listed one), and I know my guests will be grateful for whatever food falls on their plate. But it's still fun to 'pull a fast one' from time to time and take the credit for a job well done, where minimal effort is required. Thanks to the all natural ingredients of Gluten Free Citizen Chef Simmer Sauces, and companion meal ideas/recipes, I can whip up a gourmet meal with the simple addition of, well, anything. These delicious sauces can be used to marinate, simmer, drizzle or dip, and infuse complex flavors of fresh zesty ingredients int any meal or gathering. Most recently I was preparing a rather large portion of pork and veggies for a family get together involving a grill. I wanted to sample my dish before it hit the grill, so I prepared Jay and I a little sample of Hawaiian Shish Kabobs and Corn Niblets.
I diced up an 8lb Pork Butt Roast into even cubes and marinated it overnight in a simple teriyaki marinade, then I grabbed a handful of the fresh chopped veggies and portion of pork and tossed it into our electric skillet. About halfway through cooking I drizzled some of Citizen Chef's Hawaiian Pineapple BBQ sauce
 over the ingredients. This quickly began to caramelize and stick the the Pork, resulting in a beautiful fresh from the grill sear. Just as I was about to pull the vegetables out, I added my corn niblets, rolling the cob into the skillet with light force to pick up the juices and flavor that was baking onto the bottom of the skillet. The result was a fresh from the barbie plate of Summer ready food, full of rich and zesty flavor, and all in just less than 10 minutes, with only 1 piece of kitchenware to clean up!
While this was only meant as a test, I'll certainly be trying this out at home again soon. With only 2 adults to feed in our home most of the time, breaking out the BBQ can seem like a daunting chore. Thanks to the flavorful Hawaiian Pineapple BBQ Sauce I can recreate a Summer cookout in my own home with less than half the mess. I'm certain some of the pork's tenderness and flavor was gained through the overnight marinate, but the slightly sweet glaze on our veggies was entirely thanks to my secret weapon; sous chef Citizen Chef. These amazing natural simmer sauces are sold nationwide at Sprouts and Safeway chains. Head on over to the Citizen Chef website for recipe ideas and a store locator, and stay tuned for more culinary adventures with The Citizen.

What Daughter Says: Citizen Chef helps me create flavorful meals with a little inspiration.

11 comments:

  1. I have got to try to find that stuff! Looks so easy and delicious!

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  2. I love making shish kabobs in the summer! So easy, so fun, and so many different ways you can do them. I like this "fake" way of doing them too though... great for winter or rainy days where going out to the grill isn't all that appealing.

    Also, I'm envious of your corn holders.

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  3. Sounds delish! I love pork and the pineapple would be excellent with it. Your corn holders are adorable.

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  4. Your sauces look so good and sure would make a delicious dinner easier. I will be scouting my local stores to give them a try. We love shish kabobs because they are finger foods and always looking for new flavors.

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  5. the photos are making my mouth water. It looks so flavorful!

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  6. Yet another amazing food post! I can't get enough! Yum!

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  7. Oh my goodness! I just finished dinner and now I"m hungry again just looking at it! It looks amazing! And I love grilled food! LOVE it!

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  8. that corn looks so good I could eat it off the page! Fake can be good!

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  9. OMG that looks amazing!! I want to try it!

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  10. As always, my mouth is watering. Looks great. I love a good marinade. I will look for these at my local market.

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  11. That sounds delicious. I shop at Safeway so I will keep an eye out for this brand.

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