Tropical kabobs are skewers of chicken, shrimp, and pineapple that have been marinated in a tropical flavored marinade. Easy to make, and so delicious!
I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but we’ve been stuck in a heat wave of the tropical sort for one too many days in a row. The weather finally broke and we are back in the comfortable range, but I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter what the weather, someone is going to be complaining about it.
Inspired by the heat (or maybe suffering from a minor unexpected heat stroke) and a bottle of coconut oil the kind people at Kelapo sent me, I set out to create some island inspired tropical kabobs.
Knowing nothing of the islands, or what supper would be like there, pineapple in one hand and coconut oil in the other, I pretty much decided to wing this one.
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Tropical Kabobs: Chicken Pineapple and Shrimp on a Stick
cuz everything’s better on a stick.
Ingredients:
- 2 large chicken breast
- 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Soyaki, or tropical marinade of choice
- 24 large shrimp, cleaned and shells removed except for the tails
- 2 cups diced pineapple
Preparation:
Dice the chicken and let it mingle with Trader Joe’s Soyaki for a few hours. Skewer the chicken and pineapple and throw them on a well oiled grill over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through, rotating about every 2 minutes. Meanwhile, skewer the shrimp, about 6 per kabob and place over medium heat for approx 5 to 8 minutes, turning once halfway through. Baste both the chicken and shrimp kabobs with extra marinade if desired.
I served this with:
Coconut Rice
from Coconut Oil Cooking
Ingredients:
- 3 cups long grain white rice
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Kelapo coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover tightly, reduce heat to very low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff rice when cooked.
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I had never worked with coconut oil before this meal, and to be honest, I tried a few other recipes (to be posted soon) with it as well just to get a better feel for it. When I mentioned coconut oil to people, it seems their opinions vary in that its either a health fad that’s amazing for you or that it is possible the worst thing in the world for you.
What I can tell you though, is that despite every other form of coconut I have worked with has been strong in flavor, this oil is rather mild. I anticipated my house would smell like the tropics when I opened the jar, but it didn’t (easily corrected by lighting some fancy candles) and the flavor wasn’t over powering in the other recipes I tried at all. I loved the coconut flavor of the rice, but I’m not sure how much of that can be contributed to coconut oil. The rice did cook in and absorb two cups of coconut milk.
This is a product I am definitely interested in, and will be working more with. But for now, I’m rather neutral on it (which is probably a good thing as its an oil). I can’t wait to experiment more though with nibbles like this granola recipe from Katrina’s Kitchen!
wow – how neat – I’ve never used coconut oil either, but would love to try it!
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YUM!!!!
I have no creative uses, I have only recently heard how healthy it is for cooking. Lovely meal.
Having just finished my jar of Kelapo oil, this would be a lovely thing to win! I made granola, muffins and a torte with coconut oil. In the past, I have sauted veggies, used it in pancakes (with toasted coconut in the batter) and cakes. It adds such a great flavor!
I follow you on facebook and twitter, and I posted my coconuts (or my fav. coconut oil recipe…does that count?) I’ve been using coconut oil for a couple of months and I really love it, but I can’t use butter so it’s helping me to fill the void.
Coconut oil added to pancakes instead of butter is really great. 🙂 I use coconut milk and shredded coconut along with a little lime and they are fantastic!!
I would love to use the coconut oil in my baking. But I think I would add some to rice pudding or maybe ice cream or make a dessert mousse oh the possibilities!!
I follow pass the sushi on facebook
Thank you for reminding me that I need to make kabobs!! These look delish!
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This. Looks. Divine.
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I don’t have any real creative uses for Coconut oil – I just want to try it. I have seen people use it in breads lately, and I think that would be a treat twist. I think zucchini bread would be first up.
I would love to try this recipe! I have just recently decided after hating coconut my whole life, that I love it haha… I am borderline obsessed with coconut milk and haven’t tried coconut oil yet. I would love to win some to do just that though! I’m joining your e-mail subscription and plan on trying this recipe soon! 🙂
I like to mix coconut oil with cocoa powder and agave to make a magic shell sauce.
Great coconut recipe!
I use coconut oil for everything: cooking, baking, pan frying, and moisturizing!!
Coconut oil is so healthy and makes the perfect moisturizer for my skin, I love how it smells and feels.
I have been using it for making muffins, cookies, homemade graham crackers, anything that calls for oil I sub coconut oil and I still haven’t had anything go wrong so I am pretty pleased with my coconut oil goodness!
I have never used Kelapo oil and would really love to try that!
Ana
This looks amazing and I love coconut oil.
I like to use it to make a chocolate sauce for healthy milkshakes and ice-creams!
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I’d like to use coconut oil in my baking. I’m wondering if you could sub it for coconut milk.
I follow you on Twitter too.
I follow you on FB too. 🙂
I’ve been wanting to try coconut oil forever! I would definitely try baking with it and I would love to try your rice recipe.
I also follow Pass the Sushi on Facebook, Twitter and subscribe via RSS feed.
I actually use it for my kids hair.. I would love to cook with it!
Grilled pineapple on it’s own is delicious! I love everything else that’s alongside! I definitely want to try some tropical fruit kabobs now… like a dessert item? You may steal that idea if you wish…
Ooooh, this sounds great! I would love to try this to make sauteed strawberries to serve over coconut sorbet. Yum!
beautiful combination looks wonderful
I have never used coconut oil, it sounds interesting. The shrimp and chicken look awesome, something fun for the grill. The kids would love it!
Love the kabobs! They are just a great thing to have during the summer time! So easy to make and so easy to spice up and make a ton of different ways. I love your variation here. Looks awesome!
Your pictures are fantastic!
Grilled pineapple is HUGE in Brasil! Looks great!
I’ve only use coconut oil once in a coconut chicken curry recipe over coconut-oil-flavored rice. Similar to your experience, I found the coconut flavor was very subtle (bordering on non-existent). Next up in the queue is a coconut quinoa spinach salad that sounded interesting.
I liked PTS on FB (as my Eating The Week page), followed you on twitter and subscribed to PTS emails. Great giveaway!
And if you’d like a chance at my Peeled Snacks giveaway, in return, head over here: https://eatingtheweek.com/2011/06/14/giveaweek-peeled-snacks-organic-dried-fruit-review-and-giveaway/
I want to use coconut oil with chocolate to include it in some homemade ice cream!
I’m a fan on facebook and i subscribe to your rss feed 🙂
your kabobs look amazing! 🙂
I follow you twitter and I don’t do anything creative I just eat by the spoonful
I have never used coconut oil before but I would love to win a bottle so I could give it a try.
I follow Pass the Sushi on Facebook and subscribe to the RSS feed.
I’d love to use some coconut oil with some grilled shrimp!
This looks delicious! I would definitely love to bake with coconut oil. I’ve never used it, but would love to try!
What gorgeous kabobs, Kita! I have some of that coconut oil myself…and I’m going to try some in my next batch of rice. YUM.
This sounds so awesome, I love grilled pineapple and the coconut rice sounds refreshing! I would just have to experiment with the coconut oil, I’ve never used it before! I follow you on FB and Twitter!
I love your use of coconut oil! My trainner has been telling me to take some (as in swallow a spoonful)- its supposed to help your metabolism speed up. I might have to start slower and cook with it first.
I, too, am dying to try Katrina’s granola, but I just made some coconut ice cream and I wonder how I could incorporate coconut oil in that for more coconutty taste?? And, maybe try it in baking! I will join your RSS feed and and email subscription.
Those are some of the prettiest kabobs I’ve ever seen, not to mention, delicious and wow, amazing photos and plating! What a fantastic way to use the coconut oil! I just made a tropical carrot cake using it..so moist and yummy!