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If you fancy yourself a backyard chef, the kebab is your best friend. You can have fun with marinades, prepare everything ahead of time and rarely spend more than 10 minutes at the 'cue.

My first bit of kebab advice is to avoid putting more than one star ingredient on a skewer. While it may be colourful, vegetables and meat cook at different times and when the chicken is done, the mushy zucchini is falling off the skewer.

Despite the environmental impact, I prefer using bamboo skewers to metal. Metal skewers gouge food with their girth and are too hot to pick up with your hands. Eight-inch bamboo skewers are ideal, and they should be soaked in boiling water for at least an hour.

When you start skewering, leave just enough of the sharp tip exposed to remind diners it's there and leave a few inches at the bottom for easy grabbing. The trick for preventing this exposed part of the skewer from burning is to lay a strip of aluminium foil at the bottom of the grill. This will protect the wood from the direct heat.

Always grill kebabs over high heat and if your barbecue has hot spots, make sure to rotate. Here are three ideas for meat on a stick.

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI

Cut 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs into one-inch chunks. Make a marinade of 3 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp chopped parsley and the finely grated zest of one lemon. Season the meat with salt and pepper and add the marinade. Mix thoroughly and marinate overnight. Thread the meat onto six soaked skewers. Grill over high heat, rotating on all four sides, about eight to 10 minutes in total. Serve with tzatziki.

MOROCCAN LAMB

Cut 2 pounds of boneless, trimmed lamb leg into one-inch chunks. Make a marinade of 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Season the meat with salt and pepper and add the marinade. Mix thoroughly and marinate overnight. Thread the meat onto six soaked skewers. Grill over high heat, rotating on all four sides, until pink and juicy, about six to eight minutes.

SPICY SHRIMP

Peel and de-vein 2 pounds of jumbo shrimp, leaving the tail section intact. Make a marinade of 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tbsp minced ginger, 1 tsp dried chili flakes, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and the finely grated zest of one orange. Add the marinade to the shrimp. Mix thoroughly and marinate for four hours. Thread the shrimp onto six soaked skewers and season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat, about one to two minutes per side. Serve with wedges of lime.