Food on a Stick: 5 Tasty Recipes for Kebab Day

Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, is reported to have once said, "There will not be peace until access to the kebab is universal." Amen! Today, on what is apparently Kebab Day, we celebrate those little sticks of deliciousness. Here are a few of our favorite kebab recipes.  

1. Moroccan Chicken Kebabs: Jewish cooking expert Tina Wasserman explains, "Whether served as part of an assortment of mezes (small plates) or laid on a bed of couscous as part of a Moroccan meal, kebabs can be found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. This method of cooking and the use of spice demonstrate the recipe’s migration westward with the Moors." This recipe is made with chopped mint, garlic, coriander, and other robust, flavorful spices. 
2. Israeli Fish Kebabs with Yellow Tahini Yogurt Sauce: Packed with fresh herbs, these fish kebabs are bursting with flavor, and they're even better with the creamy yellow tahini sauce recommended by Israeli chef Orly Ziv. She writes, "I recommend that you use this recipe, and all of my recipes as inspiration, as jumping-off points to make them your own. Change the ingredients or spices to create your own flavors, because there's no such thing as failure in the kitchen, only learning experiences." Yum! 
3. Sate Manis (Indonesian Skewered Meat): Tina Wasserman explains, "Sate is the schwarma of Indonesia. Skewers of marinated meat cubes are favorite street and snack foods in Jakarta. This delicious recipe fuses Near and Far East ingredients." The kebabs are made with ribeye, and the spicy sauce includes peanut butter and red pepper flakes. 
4. Carnatzlach: Tina Wasserman shares yet another kebab recipe, this one for meatballs that, she says, "look like little sausages without any casing. They are kebabs when tightly squeezed onto a skewer. Carnat means fresh sausage in Romanian (probably from the Spanish carne, meaning meat), and lach at the end of the word is the Yiddish word for little." This Sephardic recipe is quite popular in Israel. 
5. BBQ Tempeh Kebabs: Rabbi Eric Yoffie, then-president of the Union for Reform Judaism, once declared, "We need to think about how the food we eat advances the values we hold as Reform Jews.” In keeping with Rabbi Yoffie’s longstanding initiative urging Reform Jews to consider the ethical, environmental, and health aspects of what they eat, Chef Mark Reinfeld shares a deliciously flavorful vegan recipe.