Wow!-factor definitely present in these Smoky Chicken Barbecue Kabobs

Time for another “last supper”—not meaning to be irreverent, certainly, but this is the term we often apply to those meals on which we dine before a medically-prompted fast—usually a fast before a physical exam and blood work the next day. Hubby had another such session in his future. Yesterday we drove to Ardmore, OK, for him to have his six-month regular look-over by the medics at the Chickasaw Health Services. So our repast the night before—the last time he would dine before being deprived of breakfast the next day—needed to have some extra mileage.

I had seized this recipe for Smoky Chicken Barbecue Kabobs with White Barbecue Sauce back in July and set it aside for a July 4th family cookout for next year, 2012. However, it seemed ideal for Hubby’s last dinner before he had to starve for a while—healthy, yet substantial, to tide him over until his blood work was over and he could dine again. Plus I saw that from the amount of food pictured alongside the magazine recipe (Southern Living July 2011) that we’ve have enough to last us for a second night when we arrived home right at dinner time from our Ardmore trip.

Bottom line was, these were dandy. The smoky rub was a terrific seasoning that separated this “wow” one from an ordinary cookout. The accompanying recipe for White Barbecue Sauce made a dynamic little extra that was a wonderful topping for these tasty kabobs. The slightly charred exterior of the chicken and veggies on a stick made everything taste like a grilled extravaganza.

Hubby’s appetite was appeased; the recipe was enough to “stick his bones” to last him until he could consume food again late yesterday morning. What’s best, he returned home having had an unexcelled physical, with his cholesterol reading LOWER THAN HE'D EVER SEEN IN HIS LIFE. (Major hooray!) And after a weary day on the road, we were thrilled to have these Smoky Chicken Barbecue Kabobs to return to for our (now) celebration supper.

Smoky Chicken Barbecue Kabobs

2 pounds skinned and boned chicken breasts

1/2 large red onion, cut into fourths and separated into pieces

1 pint cherry tomatoes (I subbed 4 cut-up Roma tomatoes)

8 (8-inch) metal skewers (I used wood ones)

2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

White Barbecue Sauce (see below)

Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high) heat. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Thread chicken , onion, and tomatoes alternately onto skewers. Leave a 1/4-inch space between pieces. Sprinkle kabobs with Smoky Barbecue Rub, which is comprised of the next 5 ingredients (brown sugar, garlic powder, chile powder, cumin, and oregano). Grill kabobs, covered with grill lid, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve with White Barbecue Sauce, below. Makes 8 servings.

White Barbecue Sauce

1 1/2 cups lite mayonnaise

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/2 teaspoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 pressed garlic clove (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)

Stir together ingredients. Serve with Smoky Chicken Barbecue Kabobs. Makes 1 3/4 cups.