Last weekend my neighbor brought over his fancy new grill and we decided to test kebab recipes. Figured I’d document what actually works as sides because store-bought dips always disappoint. Here’s how my taste-test journey went down.
Digging Through My Pantry First
Started by raiding my fridge like a raccoon hunting snacks. Found half a red cabbage and thought “coleslaw could work”. Chopped it super thin, tossed with mayo, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Added shredded carrots last minute because they were going soft anyway. Left it soaking in the dressing while I prepped other stuff – smart move since the flavors got friendlier over time.
Playing With Fire (Literally)
While charcoal heated up, I grabbed every veggie left in the crisper drawer. Bell peppers, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes got skewered separately from the meat. Brushed ’em with olive oil mixed with smoked paprika. Big discovery: veggie kebabs cook way faster than chicken. Nearly torched the tomatoes when checking steak doneness. Saved ’em by moving to cooler grill edges.
The Rice Experiment Disaster
Tried making saffron rice because fancy recipes mentioned it. Total fail. Forgot the pot on the stove while flipping kebabs. Came back to crusty yellow concrete at the bottom. Scraped it into the trash and yelled bad words. Lesson learned: pick sides that don’t need babysitting.
What Actually Saved Dinner
Glad I made backups! Here’s what people kept grabbing:
- Flatbread pockets smeared with garlic yogurt (literally just Greek yogurt + minced garlic)
- Quick-pickled onions – sliced red onions soaked in vinegar+sugar for 20 mins while grill heated
- That accidental coleslaw everyone thought was “gourmet”
- Halved lemons thrown on the grill last minute – squeezing charred juice over meat was a game changer
Final Thoughts After Eating Leftovers
Turns out best sides are lazy ones. Next time I’m skipping anything requiring actual cooking instructions. Stick to stuff you can chop/toss/forget while focusing on not burning precious meat sticks. Also, cold beer counts as a side dish. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
