Beef and Mango Skewers with Coconut Rice

Beef & Mango Skewers with Coconut Rice

Summer is never over in California, and neither is the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to add on your next BBQ. Try my Skewer combination of Top Sirloin Beef with Mango and Coconut Rice made with Silk Coconut Milk.

Cooking for Kids

I take my role as a father pretty serious, especially when it comes to cooking for my kids. I want to give my teens the proper balance of proteins, fruits and vegetables. I also know, as they grow older, they develop different tastes and preferences for food. I know for a lot parents with teens like me, it’s not always easy to make everyone happy when it comes to making a meal that everyone can enjoy.

My Beef and Mango Skewer with Coconut Rice is one of those recipes where I have found a happy medium that all three of my children can enjoy. From Tweens to Teens, my kids like the variety of flavors that this dinner recipe provides. I like this dish because it offers so many different healthy options. From the marinated beef, fruits and vegetables; to the rich flavor of the coconut rice; I know as a parent that I am giving my children healthy options to enjoy plant based nutrition along with the traditional proteins found in this recipe.

Give it a try…

Shopping List: Feeds a Family of 4+plus

1 ½ pounds of Top Sirloin Beef, Trimmed and Cut into Cubes

2 ½ Cups of Silk Coconut Milk

1 ½ Cup of Long Grain Rice

2-3 Medium Mangos, Cut to Thick Chunks

2- Red Peppers, Cut to thick Slices

1- Large Pineapple, Cut to large Chunks

½ Cup of Soy Sauce

1-Tablespoon of Minced Garlic

Optional Skewer Items: Mushrooms, Onion and Zucchini

Cooking Equipment: BBQ, Boil Pot with lid, 4 Skewers, 2 Cutting boards

Cooking Steps: Rice Prep

I like to get my rice started first because I know that I can keep it warm while all the other chaos is going on in my kitchen with the other steps. So, the firs thing is to take your pot and pour 1 ½ Cups of rice and pour the 2 ½ Cups of Silk Coconut Milk. Keep the heat on low to medium and allow the rice to slowly come to a simmer. The key to good rice is to keep the rice moving so be sure to stir the pot as the coconut milk begins to heat up. Keep heat at Low setting and allow the rice to simmer. Now let’s move on the Veggie Prep.

Fruit and Veggie Prep: The Mango

The Mango is one of those fruits that I cannot understand. The reason why I say this is because every time I have tried to cook with it, I spend more making a mess of it, than actually cooking with it. The Mango has a large, strange seed in the middle of the fruit, which makes things awkward cutting around it. My best advice is to take your common “potato peeler” and shave off the skin so you can manage 8 – 10 chunks per fruit along the sides, tops and bottom of the Mango. Place your chunks in a large bowl and get on with the next fruit, the pineapple.

Fresh Pineapple is available year-around in most stores these days and there is no match for the taste of fresh pineapple. You are welcome to use the canned pineapple for this recipe, (and I will still be friends with you) but if you can get a hold of a fresh pineapple, it typically stays firm during the BBQ process better than the canned pineapple. Trim your pineapple and cut large chunks as seen in the video recipe and add to the collection bowl.

Next is the Red Pepper. Nothing special about prepping the Red Pepper other than I like to cut the top and bottom off first and remove the core before cutting my slices. Cut thick slices for the best results.

Quick Reminder: Check on your Rice!

At this time, (15- 20 minutes) most of the Coconut milk has cooked into the rice and the milk is cooking at “rice level”. If you are at this stage, continue to stir the milk and rice. As it begins to thicken, it is now time to turn off the heat and place a lid on the rice. This allows the rice to continue to cook, without the danger of burning or sticking to the pot.

Quick Reminder: Start Your BBQ

Next Step: Meat Prep

You can choose other cuts of beef, but I prefer Top Sirloin. It’s a lean cut of beef and it holds firm to the skewer while on the BBQ. Top Sirloin is relatively inexpensive as compared to other cuts like Tri-Tip or Filet. In this recipe, cut the pieces of steak into large cubes or chunks. Place the beef in a small bowl and take a tablespoon of minced garlic and a cup of soy sauce and let the meat sit for 10-minutes, (yes, 10 to 12 minutes tops!). This all the time you need to have the beef absorb the saltiness of the Soy Sauce and a touch of garlic flavor to the beef.

Next Step: Start your Skewers

In this video, I have my daughter Mia helping me throughout the process. We have set up our ingredients on the table so we can have an orderly process of adding the ingredients together. Your skewers will probably look different than mine. I have also added in this recipe some mushrooms, onions and zucchini, ( I found them in my fridge and I didn’t want them to spoil). Place your finished skewers on the BBQ and rotate the skewers every 10 minutes so the beef can cook evenly. When done, remove your fruit, veggies and meat from the skewers and add them to a hot bowl of coconut rice.

Enjoy!