By Recipe

Sweet & Sour beef kabobs

These kabobs are colorful and festive, and they cook quickly. Just add some corn on the cob, a quick rice dish and a salad, and dinner is served.

There’s something for everyone in the family to do. Small kids can help combine the honey-soy marinade, stirring it with a whisk or a fork and pouring it over the steak cubes in a baking dish. They can also help shuck the corn.

Older kids can thread the skewers (if you’re using wood instead of metal, be sure to soak the skewers in water for a good half-hour so they won’t burn on the grill or under the broiler).

When grilling or broiling with skewers, use long tongs to turn them and don’t forget the oven mitt.

When it comes to fresh pineapple, you can buy peeled, fresh-cut pineapple in the produce section. Look for it packaged on ice in a refrigerated section and before purchasing, check the “for use by date.”

If you buy a whole pineapple, just twist the crown from the body of the fruit, use a sharp knife to slice the pineapple in half lengthwise, then in half again. Take each pineapple quarter and slice crosswise, cutting to just about a half-inch from the shell, then slide the knife under the sliced fruit to trim the “chunked” fruit from the shell.

Because fresh pineapple has an enzyme that may over-tenderize meat, don’t thread skewers until you’re ready to cook them. Have the grill or broiler sizzling hot before you start the kabobs.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Marinate: 15 minutes

Grill: 12 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

1pound top round steak, cubed

3tablespoons honey

2tablespoons soy sauce

18teaspoon ground ginger

18teaspoon garlic powder

112cups fresh pineapple chunks

12large green or red bell pepper, cut into chunks

25cherry tomatoes

Place steak in shallow non-stick metallic dish. Combine honey, soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder until well blended. Pour marinade over steak. Cover, marinate 15 minutes in refrigerator.

Skewer pineapple chunks, steak, bell pepper and cherry tomatoes on long skewers.

Grill or broil 4 to 6 minutes on each side, basting with marinade during grilling.