Skewer Up Dinner

It’s back to work and school this week for many of us. The transition from lazy hazy days of summer into a regular fall routine will not be so bad if you “skewer a salad” for your lunch. There’s no dressing, no tossing, no need for silverware, and no worries of the dressing dripping down the front of your shirt, dress or necktie.

Pick up a pack of 6-inch wooden skewers and have fun creating your lunch. I offer five skewer salad combinations to perk up your palate and tweak your imagination. Make as many skewers of your favorite salad fixings as you will eat, pack them snugly into a covered container, and refrigerate it overnight. Next morning, pack the container along with a napkin into your bag. Now you are free to concentrate on the important matters of the day.

Speaking of food on a stick, use metal skewers for cooking on the grill. Why not make grilled chicken thighs and Italian sausages with lemon on a skewer for dinner tonight? For a side dish, grill mushrooms, peppers, and onions seasoned with salt, pepper, herbs, and olive oil—you can skewer them too! Serve the chicken and sausages and vegetables on a bed of brown rice pilaf to complete the meal. Bon appétit!

Greek Salad On A Skewer(Serves 1)4 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 grilled baby artichoke hearts halved or quartered

4 pitted Kalamata olives

4, 1-inch cubes feta cheese

4 wooden skewersAlternate tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, and feta on skewersThe Wedge Turkey Salad On A Skewer(Serves 1)1 thick slice of roasted turkey or chicken breast

1/4 head iceberg or hearts of romaine lettuce cut into wedges and bite-sized pieces

8 red seedless grapes

4 one-inch cubes blue cheese

4 wooden skewersAlternate turkey, lettuce, grapes, and blue cheese on skewersA Skewer Salad Of Meat And Potatoes(Serves 1)8 chunks of Baked Virginia ham

8 small cornichon or sweet baby gherkin pickles

8 roasted new small potatoes: Yukon gold and Peruvian purple

Few basil leaves as a bed

4 wooden skewersAlternate potatoes, ham and cornichons on skewersA Prairie Queen Special On A Skewer(Serves 1)4 small Kirby or Persian cucumbers, scrubbed and cut into quarters

8, 1-inch cubes cheddar cheese

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 green stuffed olives

4 wooden skewersAlternate cucumbers, cheese, bell pepper, and olives on skewersCucumber, Tomato And Onion Salad On A Skewer(Serves 1)8 yellow pear tomatoes

1 cucumber cut into chunks

Small red onion, peeled and cut into eights

8 Castelvetrano olives

4 wooden skewersAlternate cucumber, pear tomato, few red onion pieces, and olives on skewersGrilled Chicken And Italian Sausages With Lemon Wedges(Serves 4)1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (or chicken breast)

About 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh basil, to taste

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausages, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 lemons cut into 8 wedges each

A dozen, 12-inch metal skewersTo prepare:If using bamboo or wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and toss with oil, salt and pepper, basil, and garlic.

Alternate the chicken pieces, sausage, and lemon on the skewers, stacking them tightly onto the skewer.

Place the skewers on a rimmed baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill. (Can be done several hours ahead)

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler or heat a gas grill to medium high heat.To cook: Arrange the skewers on the grid directly over the fire.

Close the lid and cook, turning skewers and basting with a little olive oil, several times.

After about 12 minutes, cut into a piece of chicken and a sausage to test for doneness; they should no longer be pink in the center, about 15 minutes in total.

Transfer the skewers to a platter.

Spoon the brown rice pilaf onto a large platter and, with a table fork, slide the chicken, sausages, and lemon off the skewer on top of brown rice pilaf.