Here’s an idea with a little kick for the holidays.

These can be served as appetizers — or if you’re not very formal like us — they can be served as a fun meal. With company coming, these kabobs make for a great, quick, healthy option that everyone will like.

Holiday Meat and Vegetable Kabobs

• 1 cup fresh pearl onions
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 pound boneless beef sirloin
• 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 large green pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 large zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Soak 3 dozen 4-inch-long wooden skewers in water overnight. In a 1-quart saucepan over high heat, bring pearl onions and enough water to cover them to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 3 minutes or until onions are tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel away outer layer of skin.

In a medium bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, TABASCO^® Sauce, basil, garlic and salt and mix well. Pour half of mixture into another bowl. Cut chicken and beef into 3/4-inch chunks and place in one bowl with vinegar mixture, tossing well to coat. In remaining bowl of vinegar mixture, toss cooked pearl onions, red and green peppers, and zucchini. Let stand at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Preheat broiler. Skewer one chunk of chicken or beef and one each of red pepper, green pepper, onion and zucchini onto each skewer. Broil 4 to 6 minutes or to desired doneness, turning occasionally.

Makes 3 dozen hors d’oeuvres.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Tabasco.com.

We’re smack dab in the middle of “entertaining season.” Are you lucky enough to be the entertainer soon?

This recipe is one of my absolute, all-time favorite appetizers. Whenever I serve Swedish meatballs they seem to disappear as fast as I can put them out.

And someone who shall remain nameless has been known to make an entire meal of these a time or two.

They’re that good.

Just look at them!

It is perfectly acceptable for these beauties to be a meal, especially when served over egg noodles.

I, however, have eaten approximately 32 meatballs at a party — each with a tiny toothpick in it that I had to first pull out.

Something tells me those were not meant to be dinner.

However you serve them, try this recipe and don’t make fun of your guests for hogging them. That’s what they’re for!

Swedish Meatballs

(Serves 6)

1 lb. Ground Beef

1 Cup Bread Crumbs

2 Cups Heavy Cream

2 Eggs

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch ground clove

1 Medium Onion, minced

2 Cups Beef Broth

2 Tbsp. Flour

2 Tbsp. Butter

In a heavy bottom skillet, sweat the onion in the butter and reserve.  In a stand mixers bowl, add cream and bread crumbs and let sit for fifteen minutes.  Add eggs, nutmeg, clove and beef and onions and mix thoroughly until the mixture gets sticky, about five minutes.  Shape the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs and cook in the skillet over low heat until all of the meatballs are nicely browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add flour to pan and cook for five minutes.  Slowly stir in beef broth with a whisk to avoid any lumps and cook for fifteen minutes.  Add Cream and reduce by one third.  Add meatballs and cook for twenty minutes.  Serve over buttered egg noodles.

Photo courtesy of rd.com.

It’s time to start thinking about what to serve for those family holiday get-togethers. And nothing satisfies better than an elegant beef tenderloin.

Also known as Chateaubriand, there are so many ways to prepare this tasty dish. This one’s an absolute crowd-pleaser . . .