I love to grill, smoke foods and barbeque — but getting the backyard grill going is alot of effort for just two people. And this Louisiana summer seems to be full of mosquitoes; humidity, heat and unpredictable afternoon thunderstorms. I purchased a little Chefman Grill plus Panini Press appliance last year thinking that this kitchen gadget mighty be the ultimate solution for grilling. Unfortunately, it became “just another kitchen appliance.” But when a neighborhood grocery store ran a Fourth of July special price on ribeye steaks — I couldn’t resist. I purchased several steaks and made delicious “Steak and Hot Pepper Kebobs” including the last of the peppers from my summer garden.

When served over rice, the kebabs made an entire meal. It was quick and easy and I stayed out of the heat! Ribeye steaks are very tender — they don’t need to be cooked very long. Plus, it works well to keep some crunch in the peppers and onion. The “Chefman Grill plus Panini Press” was just right for this job. The Chefman Grill does not get as hot as a backyard grill. Plus there is no temperature control — the appliance is either “heating” or “at cooking temperature.” Okay, you get what you pay for — but the little grill worked for this task and we enjoyed some tender and well-seasoned kebabs.

In addition to the ribeye steaks, I added tiny golden tomatoes along with cherry peppers and jalapeno peppers — both green and red ones — all from my garden. I decided that this would be a good use for my remaining garden peppers and tomatoes. These two peppers vary in degrees of “hot,” they definitely dialed up the heat in this dish. If you don’t care of “hot” peppers on kebabs, simply substitute red and green bell peppers which have no “heat.”

To make this dish, cut the meat off the ribeye steak bone and divide into chunks which are about one inch for the kebabs. Marinate the meat in a mixture of olive oil, Italian seasoning and Worcestershire Sauce and salt (optional). Would I normally use ribeye steaks for kebabs? No, I’d probably use top sirloin steak which is less in cost and still tastes great when grilled. But since these ribeye steaks were being sold at ridiculously low price, I splurged.

I added a red onion which was on hand in my refrigerator along with the tomatoes and peppers. You could easily substitute a sweet, white onion. After the meat marinates for an hour or longer, thread the ingredients onto the skewers in a colorful pattern. Two steaks and vegetables made six kebobs which fed the two of us.

Place on the pre-heated grill. This Chefman grill is Teflon-coated — you don’t need additional oil since the meat was marinated in olive oil. Cook on the first side until well-seared — this took about 10 minutes. Then flip over and grill on the other side for another 5 minutes for rarer or 10 minutes for well-done meat. The cooking time will vary depending on the brand of grill used. If you don’t have a Chefman grill, any other type of grill — inside or outside — will work.

I served the kebobs with rice. Yes, we are in Louisiana and rice is a staple ingredient.

Why I chose this brand of Grill plus Panini Press

There are so many brands of grills plus panini presses on the market; I spent alot of time comparing models. I’m sure by this time that the Chefman Company has updated their models and features. I purchased this appliance about a year ago to make panini press sandwiches. This particular model had two features which appealed to me. First, The top lid adjusts in height. You can press thick sandwiches without squeezing them. Second, the appliance flattens to 180 degrees making it possible to grill on both the top and bottom grates of this appliance.

I discovered that this grill and sandwich press has several disadvantages, too. The first deals with cleaning. Since the grilling plates don’t detach, you have to carefully clean them without getting the appliance wet. (Although the Teflon coating means that the grates can easily be wiped off.) Can’t put this appliance in the dishwasher. A drip pan tray, however, can be removed for dishwashing. Second, there is no temperature control. The appliance is either “red” for “heating” or “green” for “at cooking temperature.” Plus, there is no power “on or off” switch on the appliance. To turn it off, you have to unplug the grill. Third, when used as a grill, there’s not much heat compared to an gas grill or charcoal grill.

All of these types of appliances have advantages and disadvantages especially in this affordable price range. Would I purchase this appliance again? Hum, it is a simple appliance and works great for making pressed sandwiches which was my original idea. It’s a novelty appliance and I love gadgets — so it is just right for me.

Watching the grocery store “special” sale flyers paid off for me this time. These steak kebabs made with ribeye steaks were tender and flavorful and, along with the peppers, they made an awesome summer supper. Enjoy!