Grilling Up Savory Chicken And Veggies

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Wednesday - August 05, 2009

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Have you heard of Arts With Aloha? Though the group is 10 years old, it’s one of those under-the-radar organizations that performs its work quietly and effectively with no paid staff and no budget.

Arts With Aloha is a purely volunteer organization made up of the PR and marketing professionals representing Oahu’s finest arts organizations.

Members include Army Community Theatre, The ARTS At Marks Garage, Ballet Hawaii, Bishop Museum, The Contemporary Museum, Diamond Head Theatre, Hawaii State Art Museum, Hawaii Theatre Center, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu Symphony, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Iolani Palace, Kumu Kahua Theatre, Manoa Heritage Center, Manoa Valley Theatre, Mission Houses Museum and the University of Hawaii Art Gallery.

This column is dedicated to Charlie Aldinger, director of museum advancement (major gifts, public relations) at The Contemporary Museum. In 1998, she sat down with Anne Smoke, and that was the beginning of Arts With Aloha.

Born in the spirit of cooperation toward a common goal, today Arts With Aloha boasts a Web site hosted by eBizHawaii (http://www.ArtsWithAloha.com) , a color brochure, a partnership with the Oahu Visitors Bureau that brings national arts and travel writers here, and countless events.

These days, with arts budgets being slashed at an alarming rate, Arts With Aloha volunteers are working harder than ever - with the same nonexistent budget - to ensure that Oahu’s vibrant arts scene continues to thrive.

Follow them on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

GRILLED CHICKEN ON A STICK

* 1/4 cup light shoyu

* 2 tablespoons sesame oil

* 2 minced garlic cloves

* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

* salt and pepper, to taste

* 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes

* 1 1/2 cans low- or no-salt vegetable broth

* 3 tablespoons cornstarch (dissolve in about 2 tablespoons of broth)

* 1 1/2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar

* 3 tablespoons light shoyu

* 1 tablespoon minced garlic

* 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

* 2 Maui onions cut into 12 wedges (six wedges to one onion)

* 1 large red pepper, cut into chunks

* 1 large green pepper, cut into chunks

* 16 medium whole mushrooms, cleaned and stem ends cut off

Mix shoyu, oil, garlic, pepper and salt and pepper; add chicken and marinate in refrigerator for four hours, turning once or twice to coat.

Combine broth, cornstarch mixture, shoyu, sugar, garlic and ginger and heat in saucepan. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about seven minutes.

Heat grill to high and spray or brush with cooking oil, or use nonstick grill pan. Alternate chicken cubes and vegetables on skewers, baste often with sauce, and grill for about eight minutes on each side or until juices run clear from chicken and it is fully cooked.

Makes about eight servings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Calories: 246
Fat: 7.6 grams
Cholesterol: 46 milligrams

(Diana Helfand, author of “Hawaii Light and Healthy” and “The Best of Heart-y Cooking,” has taught nutrition in the Kapiolani Community College culinary arts program.)