BAKED CHICKEN KABOBS

Steps:

• soak 12 wooden skewers in water overnite so they won't burn in the oven.
• place uncooked cubed chicken in a 9x13 pan.
• mix all marinate ingredients together (soy sauce, Russian dressing, sesame seeds, lemon juice, garlic powder, ground ginger) and brush over chicken (use all of the marinate sauce). cover with wrap and place in refrigerator. allow to marinate 4-6 hours (i prepare early in the a.m. if cooking that day for dinner, or the night before if making for lunch - the longer it marinates, the better it tastes and more moist). NOTE: save the marinate sauce as you will be using it later to baste the kabobs.
• cut up all veggies in to 1/2" slices or chunks (of course, not the baby tomatoes or whole mushrooms).
• alternate your assorted veggies on the skewers with the marinated meat. fill those skewers! the more on the skewer, the more satisfied you will be. we find two (2) skewers per person is more than enough.
• pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees.
• place skewers on greased jelly roll pans (i use Pam spray) or any lipped baking pans to catch any drippings. approximately 5-6 kabobs should fit on each pan depending on the pan size and skewer length. baste each skewer with the marinate sauce -- use it all up!
• place the basted skewers in the pre-heated 450 degree oven on the center rack. bake for 10 minutes, turn over once. bake for 10-15 minutes longer (20-30 minutes maximum of baking time total depending on size of chicken chunks). check chicken on a few of the skewers to make sure it is thoroughly cooked; also, if using potatoes, check them for doneness, too. if chicken is not completely cooked, bake an additional 5-10 minutes longer than noted above.
• remove the kabobs from the oven and let sit a few minutes. serve with a side of wild rice and mixed greens salad.
• leftovers of these kabobs are wonderful -- warm or cold!
• NOTE: if you don't want to use skewers, use a 9X13 or larger greased pan. place the chicken and veggies in the pan alternating as if you were using skewers. brush completely with the marinate. don't cover the pan. bake at 450 degrees center shelf for 20-30 minutes - don't turn the meat/veggies. check a few pieces of chicken (potatoes too) for doneness. you may need to cook an additional 5-10 minutes. take out of oven and let sit for a few minutes. (i haven't made it this way yet, but understand from a close relative it's easy and tastes great!).