Coffee BBQ chicken / tofu skewers with grilled peppers and peanut dressing – Redfall

PREPARATION TIME: about 1 h
PRICE: average
SERVINGS: 4 servings
LEVEL: easy

YOU’LL NEED
grill
knife
cutting board
skewers
pan or pot
brush

INGREDIENTS:

COFFEE BBQ MARINADE

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 shallot or 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin (not caraway!), ground
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, ground
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ground
1/2 chopped chili pepper or 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
3 flat tablespoons of sugar, preferably brown
1/3 cup mild ketchup
1 teaspoon hot mustard
½ cup brewed and strained strong coffee (2 tablespoons ground coffee per 120 ml boiling water)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
salt to taste

PEANUT DRESSING

2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
a handful of chopped parsley
2 pinches of sugar
1/4 cup warm, boiled water

ADDITIONALLY

400g firm tofu or chicken breast meat
12 mini sweet red peppers, seedless variety
bread for serving, e.g., 4 hot-dog buns
1 fresh cucumber, sliced
1 green onion or a handful of chives, chopped, for garnish

COFFEE BBQ MARINADE

Place a medium pot or pan on the stove, add oil and set to medium heat.

Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt to the hot oil. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes until the onion is lightly browned.

Add garlic, chopped chili, cumin, and both sweet and smoked paprika. Sauté, stirring, for another minute.

Add sugar, ketchup, mustard, coffee, vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir well. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to the consistency of liquid honey, about 20 minutes. Taste the sauce and add a bit of salt if necessary.

Turn off the burner and set the marinade aside to cool.

GRILLED PEPPERS

Wash peppers under running water, then dry with a paper towel.

Heat the grill. If using an outdoor grill, use grilling trays and brush them with a bit of oil. If using an electric grill, brush the heating surface with a bit of oil.
Place peppers on the grill, side by side about 2 cm apart. Grill for about 2-3 minutes on one side until the skin wrinkles and gets charred grill stripes, then flip and grill on the other side to achieve the same effect for about 2 minutes.

Transfer grilled peppers to a plate, tightly cover with aluminum foil, and set aside.

Before serving, remove stems (and also seed pods if using peppers that have seeds).

PEANUT DRESSING

In a bowl using a whisk or fork, vigorously mix the ingredients of the peanut dressing: peanut butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, parsley, sugar, and water.
Add more water if the sauce is too thick. Add a bit of salt if necessary.

SKEWERS

Clean meat or a block of tofu* and cut into 2.5 cm square pieces, transfer to a bowl, add half of the marinade (keep the rest for serving) and coat the pieces, let marinate for 20 minutes.
[*previously drain tofu, wrap in paper towel and press gently with your hand to remove excess water and firm its structure]

Put tofu or meat pieces onto skewers.

Place skewers on the preheated grill about 3 cm apart and grill until browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Spread an additional layer of BBQ sauce on the skewers and continue frying until they are heavily browned – about 1 minute on each side. Set aside the cooked skewers on a cutting board.

ADDITIONALLY

Toast the buns for a moment on the grill.