Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs

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Summer, oh Summer, don't leave me yet.....!

I'm in love with summer and I'm going to grill until the rain comes!  Even though the evenings are shorter now I still find that we love to grill and eat al fresco every chance we get.

Our go to meal this summer has been this extremely tasty grilled chicken dish, but MGG's love of kabobs is the inspiration for today's recipe.  When shopping for food the other day he said "Let's make chicken kabobs, but not Persian ones, something with a different flair."  Taking that lead I knew that we had enough vegetables to make a Mediterranean meal, so we grabbed some chicken and a lemon and off we went.

Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs

What are kabobs?  They are varieties of meat that are cooked on skewers or a spit.  Typically from the middle east, but many countries have a version of a kabob (kebab).  They've been adapted in American to fit any type of meat and vegetable mix with any flavor profile.  I've made Jamaican Jerk Chicken Kabobs, Lemon Garlic Beef Kabobs, Moorish Pork Kabobs, and Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs to name a few.  Anything goes!

It's all about the flavor! 

Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs

serves 4

2 tsp Spanish paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
4 clove minced garlic
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice - 1 lemon
1/2 cup blood orange olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 large zucchini, halved and cut into large chunks
1 large yellow squash, halved and cut into large chunks

wooden skewers

In a re-sealable bag add the cubed chicken along with the spices, salt and pepper to taste, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss to coat. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

If using wooden skewers place them in water and soak for 30 minutes.

Place sliced vegetables in a medium bowl and toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Pre-heat a gas grill to medium heat. Thread the chicken cubes, zucchini, and yellow squash onto wood skewers. 

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the kabobs on the grate and cover, turning occasionally for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear. Remove and serve immediately.

Summer's BEST: Latin Grilled Chicken

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California cuisine is all about eating fresh.  Since our state is full of agriculture, local ingredients are treasured and are in abundance and often paired with lean meats or seafood.  Regional cultures are also a big influence in the dishes.

Today's recipe is influenced by all the Mexican culture around us in Los Angeles.  Bold savory spices mixed with bright citrus flavors hit all the right flavor notes when mixed together.  Since it's summer and we want to keep the heat out of the kitchen we are going to do some grilling outdoors.  Our go to meat is usually chicken, but this recipe would work well with fish or pork too.  To impart the most flavor in the chicken it is important to marinate it in a mixture of spice, acid, and oil.  Then the chicken is left to soak up all the flavors and produce a succulent and flavorful piece of meat.

Let's talk ingredients.  When cooking on a weeknight simple is best.  Cumin (a wonderful spice used in many Latin dishes) is used for the spice (salt & pepper to taste) along with lime juice as the acid, and a good olive oil.  This makes the BEST Latin flavored marinade.  This is all you need!  Trust me, this packs such a flavor punch that you won't believe it. 

It's all about the marinade!  You also want a quick marinade time for weeknight cooking.  So take out your chicken and place it along with the marinade in a sealable bag and leave it on the counter to come to room temperature about 30-45 minutes before grilling.  This will give it a quick, but powerful marinating time to seal in the flavors in the chicken.  A good marinade is the basis for flavoring your meat!

So did I mention that this dish is EASY to make?  It practically makes itself!  Really, this will become a go to recipe in your house this summer.  It's great during the week or on the weekend for entertaining.  This dish does it all!  

Enjoy!










Latin Grilled Chicken

Serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 lime juice, fresh squeezed
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
salt & pepper
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

In a large re-sealable bag add the ingredients for the chicken marinade and the chicken breasts.  Close tightly and toss to coat all the pieces.  Place the chicken mixture on the counter for 30-45 minutes allowing the chicken to come to room temperature.

Preheat a gas grill to medium high heat.  Remove the chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and grill, turning once, until the center is no longer pink and reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.  About 8- 10 minutes depending upon the thickness and size of the chicken breasts.  Transfer chicken to a platter and allow to rest 10 minutes.  Serve.

9 Summer Grilling Favorites 2018

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Summer is well under way and everyone is trying to beat the kitchen heat by grilling outdoors!

I have an array of some of my favorite grilling dishes that I think you will just love.  So look through them below and pick a few to try when you are planning your next meal on the grill!

9 Summer Grilling Favorites 2018



Let start off with something light and healthy like my Weeknight Balsamic Steak Salad.  This has such bold flavors that will leave you craving more.. Don't forget the Blue Cheese on this one, it's a definite must for those complex flavors!

For a great chicken dish you'll just love my Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Mediterranean Rice.  Again as with the steak dish above Balsamic is the primary flavor and it's just makes this chicken pop!  We love Mediterranean flavors and this dish is a winner!

For those who like fish or seafood you have to try my Lemon Herb Grilled Shrimp and Scallops.  It is so light and delectable that it will just knock your socks off!

You certainly can't get through summer without having a burger.  And if you choose any burger it better be my Butter Burgers.  Man oh man are these the juiciest burgers you will have anywhere!  An absolute must in my book.

Oh this salad!  The marinade which is also the salad dressing is to die for.  This salad is worth eating just for that marinade.  Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad with leave you feeling like you are sitting on a small island somewhere drinking Chianti and savoring the sea breeze! 

Let not forget the side dishes that are perfect for grilling.  Try The BEST Grilled Corn Ever and you will know what I mean.  Savory with chives and then there's the butter.  Need I say more?

What's better than a side of grilled vegetables?  Not much.  Grilling brings out the sweetness in the vegetables, and that char...oh that char!  Flavors are waiting.  Try my version of Grilled Vegetables with a balsamic marinade...they are truly perfection!

For something fun and different on the grill try Grilled Pita Pizzas.  They are a quick weeknight meal or can be a great appetizer.  They're easy to throw together and taste superb on the grill!

Let's not forget about dessert!  You gotta try a dessert on the grill.  Yes, grilled peaches and nectarines are tasty, but let's go a step further and have my Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream!  Oh boy, oh boy!  I'll take the dessert over the meal when this is served!

Have a wonderful "grillful" summer!



Quick and Easy Chinese Chicken Salad Wraps

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Want to minimize your lunch prep time?  You can have lunch for 3 in a snap (or 3 separate lunches) by making this Quick and Easy Chinese Chicken Salad Wrap.

Crazy good Chinese Chicken Salad is wrapped up in a soft flatbread to make one heck of a wrap that is the perfect solution to a workday or weekend lunch.

QUICK AND EASY CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD WRAPS

This wrap has it all.  It's is crunchy, wholesome, and zesty.  Plus it's portable, and damn tasty too!  Who doesn't love all the flavors of a good Chinese Chicken Salad, and now you can have a healthy, hearty meal in wrap form!  By using pre-cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken you can have this made in under 30 minutes.  And if you buy pre-chopped veggies you'll be done before you can blink!

Chinese Chicken Salad happens to be one of my favorites, so when I saw this recipe over on Carlsbad Cravings I knew I had to make my version of this dish.  

Lunch is an important meal in our household.  MGG takes a packed lunch to work everyday and on the weekend we like to go on picnics, or eat outside, alfresco!  This is the perfect little sandwich in a wrap that I can think of!  Of course, many different salad types will work in this recipe, however, why not try the pop of flavors, and textures in this one?

Enjoy!









Quick and Easy Chinese Chicken Salad Wraps
Adapted from Carlsbad Cravings

serves 3

3 Flatout Flatbreads 
1 1/4 cup shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup Snow peas, julienned
1/2 cup red bell pepper, julienned

Dressing
1 1/2 Tbls.seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbls. canola oil
1 1/2 Tbls. low sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp sriracha
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Chili Mayo
1/4 cup lite mayonnaise
1 tsp Sriracha

Add all of the Dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

Add chicken and all of the vegetables to the dressing and toss until evenly coated.

In a small bowl whisk the Chili Mayo ingredients together. Spread the entire surface of each Flatbread with approximately 1 tablespoon of spread.

Evenly divide the chicken and veggie filling and place down the middle of each flatbreads. Tightly roll up flatbreads and slice in half.

Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Mediterranean Rice

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Boy do I have a recipe for you today!

It all started when I went to my local Farmer's Market over the weekend and ran into a booth that was displaying the most decadent looking oils and vinegars! Oh do I love specialty items.  So after tasting a dozen or so I decided to purchase 6 types.  Not 1 or 2, but 6 different flavors.  I went exotic with Pear Vinegar, Peach Jalapeno Vinegar, Blood Orange Olive Oil....and a few others.  However, one of their best is a basic Balsamic Vinegar.

The nectar of gods!  The flavor was soooo good I could chug it straight from the bottle!. It tastes like candy, no seriously it does!  With this precious new find I decided this would be first up in the next recipe I make. 

So I got to thinking about a quick weeknight meal.  It's springtime and I don't want to be cooking all night and stuck in the kitchen.  I want to be sitting outdoors, enjoying the evening and glass of sangria!  With that in mind a quick chicken dish was in order.  Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Mediterranean Rice was born!

GRILLED BALSAMIC CHICKEN WITH

MEDITERRANEAN RICE

This dish does require a quick marinate of 1 hour or 2.  If you only have a tiny amount of time before dinner then leave the chicken marinating out on the counter for 15 minutes instead of placing the chicken and marinade in the refrigerator.  This will speed up the process. 

The rest comes together really quickly.  Make the rice and vegetable sauté first (using instant if you like) and then grill the chicken.  The meal comes together in about 30-40 minutes.  NOTE:  You can use any brand of balsamic vinegar you like.  Here's a link to the one I purchased which can be bought online as well.

Grilled chicken smothered in the complex flavors of balsamic vinegar, Dijon, and lemon turn this into a company worthy meal, but simple enough for a family weeknight meal.  Accompanied by a flavorful rice that combines with the vegetables of the Mediterranean.  The perfect combination, and a winner in my book!

Enjoy!

Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Mediterranean Rice

serves 4

4 thin cut chicken breasts

Marinade:
2 T Dijon Mustard
2 T balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Rice:
1 1/2 cups converted brown rice
1 1.2 cups chicken broth - low sodium
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 Zucchini, sliced lengthwise and cut into moon shapes
1 T olive oil
1 tsp Italian Seasoning

Place the chicken breasts in a zip lock bag.  In a bowl add the rest of the marinade ingredients and stir to combine.  Remove 1/3 cup of the marinade and place in a container for use during grilling.  Add the rest of the marinade in the bag, seal and toss to coat the chicken.  Place in the refrigerator up to 2 hours.

In a small sauce pan add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the rice and cook until tender on low for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile in a medium skillet add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Add the tomatoes and zucchini and sauté until golden brown and tomatoes have burst.  About 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and stir to combine.  Remove from heat.  Once rice is done add vegetables to the rice and fluff, tossing to combine.

Using an indoor grill pan, heat over medium heat.  Add the marinated chicken to the grill pan, throwing away the used marinade.  Cook 3-4 minutes on the first side.  Turn and brush with the saved marinade, watching closely so the chicken doesn't burn.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked through.

Remove from pan and serve along with the veggie rice.

Garlic and Parmesan Crispy Oven Fried Chicken

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Ever wonder how to get really, I mean REALLY crispy chicken in the oven?

Boy, I have a foolproof method to share with you today.  This recipe produces the crispiest oven-fried chicken you will ever make, straight from the oven.

The secret is in the method, so make sure you don't skip a step to ensure that extra crispy crust!  A few special ingredients ensure that crispy crust.

First off, you'll need a screaming hot baking sheet.  You just heat this up while the oven is preheating.  Then you melt butter on this sheet to cover it and provide a base for the chicken to cook.  It's really like frying in the oven with less fat.

Next you need to make sure to add breadcrumbs, and baking powder to you flour dredging mixture.  This gives the coating some lightness and plumpness while frying in the oven.

Beyond that these are prepared like your classic chicken strips.  The result though is a fabulous Garlic and Parmesan Crispy Oven Fried Chicken that will knock your socks off!  Kids will cry for more, so make a big batch, because they go fast!  Oh! and don't forget to serve it with a homemade ranch dip.

Enjoy!








Garlic and Parmesan Crispy Oven Fried Chicken

Serves: 6  

Ingredients

2 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoon bread crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds chicken tenders
3 Tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 420°F.  Place a large baking sheet in the oven to heat.

In a pie pan or dish whisk together the eggs and the buttermilk.

In another pie pan or dish mix together the flour, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, baking powder and all spices through the black pepper together.  Mix to combine well.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.  Then dip the pieces into the egg mixture turning to coat.  Place the chicken pieces back into the flour mixture coating well.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven (careful, it's hot!)  Place the butter on the hot sheet and allow to melt.  Spread to coat.

Place chicken pieces on the baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and flip the pieces over.  Return to the oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes, or until completely cooked and golden brown.  If needed you can broil the pieces to deepen the browning for a few minutes.  

Baked Honey Soy Chicken Legs

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Need a quick weeknight meal?  Let's make a quick hot meal using the oven.

Baked Honey Soy Chicken Legs is a weeknight wonder!  Just a few ingredients and some chicken legs and you'll have a tasty dinner on the table in no time.  One that the whole family will love.  

Tender, juicy chicken legs doused with a wonderful honey soy sauce served over a bed of fluffy rice.  What could be more comforting than that? 

Chicken legs are used hear as you can buy them cheaply and in bulk.  Everyone loves a good chicken leg!  They are the perfect vehicle for this mouthwatering sauce too.  They soak up the sauce perfectly while the chicken bakes and it gets in to all the nooks and crannies of the chicken, making for one boldly flavored chicken leg.

Enjoy!


Baked Honey Soy Chicken Legs

6 chicken legs
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Asian rice wine
1/4 honey
1/4 low sodium soy sauce

Pat the chicken legs dry with a paper towel and place them in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl add the rice wine, honey, and soy sauce.  Stir to combine.  Pour over the chicken coating all sides.  Allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees while the chicken marinates.  Cover your pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and turn the chicken over.  Uncover and bake another 15 minutes until golden brown on top.  Serve warm over rice if desired.