Gather Around Our Table: Pineapple Chicken Skewers with Sherry Reduction

Skewers are really one of the most versatile meals out there. It's perfect to pack in a summer picnic. Since the temps are getting a little bit cooler in the evenings here in Texas, I think we'll take these to our picnic this weekend with friends! They pack well and are simple to make.

Feel free to change up the combination to whatever suits your taste! Have some bell peppers on hand? Chop them up and stick them on! I would have done the same if I currently had them in my kitchen ;)

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sherry cooking wine
4 tablespoons worcestershire
1/3 cup bbq sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper
1/2 a pineapple, chopped
1 onion, quartered
1 pound chicken tenders
Olive oil

Start by chopping your pineapple. I am not a pro at cutting them (so if you have tips, leave them in the comments!) so I always seem to have a little bit of flesh left on the skin when I slice it off with my large chef knife. Since I hate wasting anything in the kitchen, I use 'em up, like in this here recipe. Continue to slice pineapple down into bite sized pieces. Keep in a bowl and set aside.

Alternatively, if you're lazy (like I usually am) you could buy the already chopped up pineapple that come in little containers at the grocery store. In that case, buy 1 cups worth and use a few in the marinade.

To make your marinade, combine sherry wine, worcestershire, bbq sauce, garlic and some salt and pepper in a zip-loc bag. Swish it around with your hands from the outside of the bag, and drop your pineapple skins along with chicken tenders in the bag. Seal it up and place in the refrigerator for 10 hours. This could be something you do before you head off to work in the morning (maybe chop that pineapple the night before) and you'll be set to go when you get home for dinner.

When you're ready to grill, peel the skin off your onion and quarter it. Remove chicken tenders from the marinade and slice in half on a cutting board. Sprinkle evenly with more salt and pepper.

Next, get a little station going with your skewers, chicken, pineapple chunks, and onion. Heat up a grill pan to medium-high heat, pour some olive oil over the pan and let it get hot, but not smoking. While you're letting your pan heat up, start assembling your skewers -- a slice or two of onion, pineapple chunk, chicken, repeat. Place on the grill and rotate evenly until you see grill marks on all sides.

For the reduction, take the marinade and pour it into a large pan. Remove pineapple skins and discard. Bring it up to a boil, add a 1/2 cup of warm water and let it boil for at least 5 minutes. This will kill any of the germs from the chicken, but make sure to let it boil completely! Lower the heat and let it simmer for another 10 minutes until it starts to thicken up.