Grilled Chicken and Veggie Kabobs with Garlic and Basil

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 large red onion
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. Spike seasoning
• 1 T garlic puree
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried sage
• 1 tsp. onion powder

Directions

1. Remove any visible fat and tendons from the chicken breasts, then slice each breast crosswise into strips a little wider than 1 inch. You’ll usually get 4 strips from each breast, unless the chicken breasts are especially large.
2. Peel the onion and cut it into roughly 2 inches square pieces. Trim the ends from the red pepper, take out the seeds, and cut the pepper into pieces about 2 inches square.
3. For the marinade, stir together the olive oil with the lemon juice, black pepper, Spike Seasoning, garlic puree, dried basil, dried oregano, dried sage, and onion powder.
4. Place the chicken in a large Ziploc bag, choosing one with enough room for the vegetables to be added later. Pour the marinade into the bag with the chicken, seal it, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or longer.
5. Put the red pepper and red onion pieces in a separate container, then refrigerate them while the chicken marinates.
6. About 2-4 hours before cooking, transfer the red pepper and red onion into the bag with the chicken, then let everything keep marinating together.
7. When it’s time to put the kabobs together, drain the chicken and vegetables and allow them to come to room temperature. Discard the marinade rather than using it for basting, since it has been in contact with raw chicken and may not have enough time on the grill to become safe if brushed on near the end. Coat the grill with nonstick spray or brush it with a high smoke point oil, then heat the grill to high.
8. Slide the chicken and vegetables onto kabob skewers, pushing the pieces close together. Set the kabobs on the grill, then lower the heat to medium-high. If you’re cooking over charcoal and can’t reduce the heat, expect the kabobs to finish a bit sooner.
9. Rotate the kabobs once grill marks appear on each side, letting them cook about 4-5 minutes per side, for roughly 16-20 minutes total. They’re ready when the chicken is firm but not hard when pressed, and the vegetables have a little browning. Serve hot.