Kiwi Beef Kabobs with Herbed Kiwi Quinoa

Enjoy kiwi three different ways in this colorful summer recipe for Kiwi Beef Kabobs with Herbed Kiwi Quinoa.

I received free samples of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe, I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Zespri Kiwifruit and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Hello, Nutrition Adventurers! I’m writing and sharing this post from Austin, Texas where it feels like 1,000 degrees outside but we’ve been having an awesome time paddle boarding and eating lots of tacos, so life is good 🙂 Today I have a fun recipe to share plus some awesome facts about one of my favorite on-the-go snacks, kiwi!

The Recipe Redux members were challenged by Zespri Kiwifruit to “surprise and delight” with SunGold kiwifruit. If you aren’t familiar with the SunGold variety of kiwifruit, it is a natural cross between gold varieties of kiwi and is one of the fastest-growing new fruits globally. And I can see why!

The SunGold kiwifruit is my preferred variety for snacking because it has such a wonderful flavor. Compared to the green kiwis, SunGold kiwifruit has a softer, juicier, more tropical tasting flesh. The other cool difference? SunGold kiwifruit isn’t fuzzy on the outside! For easy snacking, cut the kiwi in half and easily scoop out of the flesh by running a spoon around the edge.

If you’re trying to figure out what is engraved on the spoon I’m using here, it says “My Zespri Kiwi Spoon”. Love it!

[bctt tweet=”Watch just how easy it is to enjoy #kiwi as a #snack! ” username=”KarmanRD”]

Learn more about SunGold Kiwifruit….

One of the really cool things I learned during this recipe challenge is that kiwi is great for marinating meats because it naturally contains an enzyme called actinidin. This enzyme helps break down protein, which makes it perfect for tenderizing meats. Only occurring in kiwifruit, actinidin also aids in the digestion of protein and can improve digestive comfort.

Once I found out about this natural meat tenderizer in kiwifruit, a recipe with meat seemed like a perfect fit! I used top sirloin steak for my kabobs because it’s a lean cut of beef, and it’s one of my favorite cuts. Just cut your top sirloin steak into 1-inch cubes and then it’s ready to marinate in the pureed SunGold kiwifruit, honey, lime, garlic, and soy sauce.

I was VERY pleased with the tenderness and flavor of the beef after being marinated in the kiwi purée. Not only did the kabobs taste great the day I made them, but they were also perfect as leftovers. Now that’s what I call a win!

I used both SunGold and green kiwifruit in this recipe. The green kiwifruit worked better on the kabobs—just be sure to select some that are a bit firm and not overly ripe so that they can easily be cut into large chunks and skewered onto the kabobs.

DYK: 1 serving (2 SunGold kiwifruit) has 3 x more vitamin C than an orange + just as much potassium as a banana?

[bctt tweet=”DYK: 1 serving of SunGold kiwifruit has 3 x more vitamin C than an orange + just as much potassium as a banana?” username=”KarmanRD”]

Because kiwi on the kabobs and in the marinade just wasn’t enough kiwi for me, I decided to chop some up and toss it into the quinoa. Now I’m wondering why I haven’t tried this before! At first, I wasn’t sure about the texture of the soft kiwi and the quinoa together but it all works so well together, especially with the fresh parsley and cilantro. I’ll be adding kiwi to my quinoa breakfast salad bowls from now on.

Before moving on, a little side note on cooking quinoa. I am all about cutting salt whenever possible, but it really is necessary when cooking quinoa to help reduce the natural bitterness. And in the case of this recipe, the salt helps the kiwi stand out even more in the quinoa because salt enhances sweetness. Okay, I feel better getting that all off my chest.

Now to the recipe!

Kiwi Beef Kabobs with Herbed Kiwi Quinoa

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Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Karman Meyer, Dietitian at The Nutrition Adventure

Ingredients

Kiwi Beef Kabobs:

• 1 pound top sirloin steak cut into 1" cubes
• 2 ripened Zespri SunGold kiwis
• 2 small garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 red bell pepper cut into 1" pieces
• 1/2 red onion cut into 1" pieces
• 3 firm Zespri green kiwis cut into 1" chunks

Herbed Kiwi Quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup chopped Zespri SunGold kiwi
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Instructions

• 1. Place top sirloin cubes in a medium-size glass bowl. In a blender or food processor, combine 2 Zespri SunGold kiwis with the garlic cloves, soy sauce, honey, and lime juice. Once blended, pour marinade over the beef. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour to marinate.
• 2. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine the quinoa, water, and salt. Heat the saucepan over high heat until the water boils, then cover saucepan with a lid slightly ajar and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until water is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set aside for 15 minutes before mixing in the kiwi, chopped parsley, cilantro, and lime juice.
• 3. Kabobs can be prepared on the grill, under an oven broiler, or on a stovetop griddle pan. If using a grill or oven broiler, be sure to soak 8 wooden skewers in water beforehand. Prepare the kabobs by alternating the beef, bell pepper, red onion, and green kiwi chunks. See Notes section for cooking directions.
• 4. Serve kabobs over the Herbed Kiwi Quinoa.

Notes

Grill: Place kabobs on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill beef kabobs, covered, approximately 5 minutes for medium rare (145°F) to 7 minutes for medium (160°F) doneness, turning once.

Stovetop Griddle Pan: Heat griddle pan over medium high heat. Once pan is hot, place kabobs on pan and cook for 7-9 minutes, turning once.

Oven Broiler: Preheat broiler on high (550°F). Place kabobs on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil and broil for 5-8 minutes, turning once.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!