Broiled Veggie Shish Kebabs

With the weather warming up, I'm anxious to get the grill going (yes, even us vegetarians love grilling). Specifically, I'm anxious for grilled shish kebabs.

However my cravings of perfectly charred, lightly marinated vegetables predated my seasonal grill maintenance. So when I gathered my vegetables for shish kebab-ing, I had to make a slight alteration to my recipe. Which is where the broiler comes in.

Broiling the vegetables leaves them with a nice char, commonly associated with grilling. So you can enjoy these kebabs year-round, you don't have to wait for grilling season.

The trick to making these kebabs so tasty, is pan frying the tofu for a few minutes before building the kebabs. This guarantees that nothing gets overcooked, and the tofu is fully cooked by the end of their broiling time.

Every broiler is different, so be sure to check your goods while they are in the broiler frequently, turning as needed to prevent burning them to a crisp. I enjoy my kebabs served on a bed of rice or quinoa.

Ingredients:

• 1 block extra firm tofu, cubed into 2 inch pieces
• 1 pineapple
• 1 red onion
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 pint baby bell peppers, halved
• 2 cups portobello mushrooms
• 1 zucchini squash, sliced crosswise
• 1 yellow squash, sliced crosswise
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 8 to 12 wooden or metal skewers (if using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water first)

1. Whisk pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic salt, and pepper to make marinade. Use half to marinade the tofu for a minimum of half an hour, reserving the other half to be brushed on the vegetables before cooking.
2. Set broiler to high. Cut all vegetables and fruits accordingly, meanwhile heat a pan over medium low heat and cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Build the kebabs by skewering the various fruits, tofu, and vegetables in an alternating form.
4. Arrange the kebabs in a single layer on a baking sheet, brush them with the remaining marinade, and cook them in the preheated broiler for 10-15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking.