Polynesian Meatball Kabobs

1 beaten egg
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts
1/2 of a red and/or green sweet pepper, cut into bite-size chunks
1 fresh pineapple or 2 papayas, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks, or one 20-ounce can pineapple chunks (juice pack), drained

Sweet-and-Sour Sauce
Combine the egg, bread crumbs, cilantro, garlic, red pepper, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a bowl. Add beef and peanuts. Mix well. Shape in 1-inch
meatballs. Place in a 15x10x1-inch shallow pan.

Bake in 350� oven 20 minutes or till no longer pink. Drain. (Or, cook meatballs; cool. Cover; chill up to 48 hours.

Thread a sweet pepper chunk, pineapple or papaya chunk, and a meatball on a wooden tooth- pick. Return to baking pan. Repeat with remaining sweet pepper, fruit, and meatballs. Brush with Sweet-and-Sour Sauce.

Bake 5 to 8 minutes or till heated through. (Bake chilled meatballs 10 minutes.) Heat remaining sauce in a small saucepan til bubbly. Brush onto kabobs. Serve remaining sauce in a bowl with kabobs.

Makes about 40 servings.

Sweet-and-Sour Sauce
Stir together 1/2 cup brown sugar and 4 tsp. cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp. corn syrup, and 2 tsp. grated gingerroot. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook 2 minutes more. Use immediately or cover and chill up to 1 week. Heat chilled sauce before using.

Makes 1 1/4 cups.

AUTHOR: B.J.