Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken and Beef Kabobs with Roasted Veggies

Yum

We're having a wonderful Spring so far and the weather is wonderful.  Taking advantage of the semi-hot days and the cooler evenings, it's time to break out the grill!  We just love kabobs and we both love beef and chicken.  So why pick when you can have both.

Today's recipe is all about basting sauce.  Don't get me wrong the chicken and beef are stars in itself but this lemon, garlic, and herb basting sauce just takes this over the top!  I love anything with lemon on it, but this combination is one of the best.  Why have plain old meat when you can jazz it up with flavors that carry a punch?  Can't think of any reason...

We decided to fire up the grill and make "all meat" kabobs and roast the veggies in the oven.  MGG also wanted Roasted Cauliflower and Tahini Sauce as well so it was easier to just roast all the veggies at once instead of mixing them with the protein on the kabobs.  Not to worry though, the veggies got a good douse of the basting sauce as well, so they came out sizzling and delishhhh!

LEMON GARLIC HERB CHICKEN AND BEEF KABOBS

We used summer squash (yellow squash) and zucchini as the veggies.  Boneless chicken breasts were cubed and threaded onto skewers, and for the beef we used sirloin steak that was cubed as well and threaded onto skewers.

While the veggies were roasting in the oven MGG grilled the meat outside, rotating the meat and dousing them with this wonderful basting sauce.  The smell of garlic, and the tang of lemon, and the savory taste of the herbs is heaven.  This was definitely a favorite meal.  One that we will repeat over and over this summer!

Your whole family will love this easy to pull together meal, I promise.

Enjoy!





Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken and Beef Kabobs with Roasted Veggies

Kabobs:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 lb sirloin steak, fat removed, and cubed

bamboo skewers

Roasted Vegetables:

2 Summer Squash, cut lengthwise and sliced in big chunks

2 Zucchini, cut lengthwise and slice in big chunks

Marinade/Basting Sauce:
1½ tablespoons finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 - 1/3 cup minced fresh herbs, I used a mix of oregano and thyme

1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Soak your bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Remove 3 tablespoons to a small bowl and set aside.  The larger bowl will be for basting the meat on the grill. 

Thread the chicken breasts onto skewers leaving a small amount of space between them.  Do the same with the steak.  Make sure to cook them on separate skewers as the chicken and beef cook at different rates. Set aside.  Preheat the grill to medium high.

Place the chopped vegetables in a bowl and pour the 3 tablespoons over them, tossing to coat.  Spread the veggies on a baking sheet in an even layer.  Place in the preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.  Take the veggies out and turn them over and place them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  Make sure to watch them so they don't burn.

Meanwhile, on a preheated grill the chicken first turning after 5-6 minutes.  Place the beef on shortly after and turn after 5 minutes for medium.  When you turn both meats, use the basting sauce and give this side a good dousing.  Grill chicken another 5-6 minutes, turning and basting.  Grill the steak to your desired degree of doneness, turning and basting all sides.  Remove from the grill and place on a platter.

Remove vegetables from the oven and arrange on the platter with the kabobs.  Serve with sliced lemons.

Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple

Yum

Still feeling the summer heat?  We are. 

Even though the season has officially changed to Fall we are still getting 100+ heat in Los Angeles.  Typical for this time of year, we don't really get the fall weather until late October.  So it's still grilling season!  We love that we can actually grill all year round.  Grilled meat is the best, isn't it?

This weekend I was looking through another of my cooking magazines by BHG and came across a recipe for Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple.  YUM!  You had me at satay!  So I decided to make this yummy dish with a few slight modifications for our dinner.  Modifications?  Oh yea, let's spice this baby up a bit.  Then Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple happened.

Serving this with a Simple Asian Salad, this dish was fabulous!  The chicken satay cooks quickly on a grill and has a sweet and spicy beautiful glaze.  Grill up some pineapple spears or rings to go along side and serve this over rice.  The perfect dinner, or make this as game day appetizers for a group of people.  Either way this chicken really rocks!  The glaze is perfect with the Sriracha sauce added for a little heat.  You can either adjust the temperature to your liking or omit it all together.  This glaze is what makes this dish special so don't skip it.

So break out your grill and keep the summer feeling going by making this Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple.  Your sure to love it!

Enjoy!






Spicy Thai Chicken Satay with Grilled Pineapple


Ingredients:

2/3 cup sweet-and-sour sauce
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon Thai seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced

4 tablespoons Sriracha Sauce
6 pineapple rings
Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch thick strips
2 cups hot cooked rice (optional)
Fresh basil, shredded (optional)

Directions:

If using wooden skewers, soak them for 30 minutes in water to prevent burning. 

For Thai sauce, in a small bowl combine sweet-and-sour sauce, snipped basil, butter, Thai seasoning, garlic, and Sriracha Sauce.  Set aside.  

Preheat charcoal or gas grill to medium heat. 

Brush both side of the pineapple rings with canola oil.  Place on a tray.  Thread the chicken strips onto 12-15 wood skewers accordion style.  Place on the tray.

Place chicken skewers and cook (uncovered for charcoal, covered for gas) 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning occasionally and brushing with sauce during the first half of grilling. Discard any remaining reserved sauce. Grill pineapple slices for 6 to 8 minutes or until warm and grill marks appear, turning once halfway through grilling.

Serve chicken and pineapple with hot cooked rice, if desired. Garnish with basil shreds.

Greek Chicken Salad (2 Ways)

Yum

Hi there!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day yesterday.

Phew!  I'm actually glad it's over.  We ate way too much carbs yesterday!  I wasn't my intention but little things kept sneaking in to the menu and they added another level of carbs to the menu.  I am so ready for a salad today.

SALAD TO THE RESCUE

salad #1

I did double duty yesterday while we were grilling a wonderful juicy steak and snuck on a couple of chicken breasts to grill for today's salad.  Love doing that. Today we are gravitating toward Greek flavors.  This Greek Chicken Salad can be served two different ways.  I like mine to be about the chicken and array of Mediterranean vegetables along side, all covered with a delicious vinaigrette.  MGG loves same but wants some sort of lettuce mixed in with his vegetables to make it fuller.  Same salad two ways!

salad #2

The flavors of the Mediterranean really shine in this salad.  The marinade doubles as a salad dressing which makes things easy, and the lemon and oregano flavors pop in your mouth!  The chicken comes out juicy and so tasty and is perfect next to the cucumber, tomato salad mixture.  If you like olive, throw them in.  This is a versatile salad. 

It's hearty and easy to make.  Again, you can cook the chicken ahead and throw this together in no time at all.  Overall it's a great 30  minutes meal that you could make any weeknight. 

So Greek Chicken Salad is saving the day today, with a great low carb meal.

Enjoy!

Greek Chicken Salad (2 Ways)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut in half to make four cutlets

4 Pita Bread, cut into eighths

Tazatziki (store bought)

Marinade / Dressing:

¼ cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon  ( 2-3 Tablespoons )
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

Fresh ground black pepper

For Salad #1:

3 Persian or 1 English cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced thick

1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used orange and red)

1 orange bell pepper, sliced into strips

½ red onion, sliced thinly

1/4 c Feta cheese, crumbled

For Salad #2:
1/2 head of romaine or red leaf lettuce, torn
all other ingredients listed in Salad #1

Whisk together all the marinade / dressing ingredients in large, shallow dish. Pour out ⅓ cup to use as the dressing; reserve in the refrigerator for later.

Add the chicken to the marinade and evenly coat; cover and allow to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

To a large bowl, add all vegetables and toss.  Set aside.   

Heat a outdoor grill to medium-high heat.  Add chicken, discarding the marinade to the grill.  Cook 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through (180 degrees) Remove from the grill and allow to rest 5 minutes.  Slice the chicken and arrange on plates.  Add dressing to the salad and toss.  Sprinkle with feta cheese.  Add salad to the side of the  chicken and add several pieces of pita bread to each plate.   Drizzle with any remaining dressing and serve with the tzatziki.

adapted from Café Delites

20 Amazing Labor Day Recipes

Yum

Labor Day is around the corner so I wanted to bring to you
20 Amazing Labor Day Recipes!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday!! 

Salads

Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad




Fruit Salad with a Red Currant Raspberry Sauce




Springtime Pasta Salad




Summer Corn Salad




Cheese Focaccia Panzanella with Grilled Ratatouille

Main Dishes

Grilled Chili Lime Fish or Chicken Tacos




Jamaican Jerk Chicken Kabobs




The Mushroom Swiss Burger

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Grilled Flank Steak in Adobo Tomato Sauce

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu

Side Dishes

The Best Grilled Corn Ever!




Grilled Vegetables




Grilled Green Beans




Simple Cheddar Biscuits

Desserts

Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream




Banana Pudding Jars




Red Velvet Berry Parfaits




Banana Bundt Cake




Grandma Landon's Strawberry Cake

Workout Night Dinners: Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Yum

Weeknight dinners are a popular subject.  You come home late, your tired, and you still have to cook?  You want dinners that are on the table fast, everyone likes, and will satisfy your hunger. 

MGG and I have found a sub-set of that "weeknight dinner"  that we call WORKOUT NIGHTS. We have a workout regimen 2-3 nights a week in which we rush home from work and get ready for a vigorous aerobic workout.  Then comes dinner...

I'll tell you, after a workout I'm not all that hungry for at least an hour, plus I'm tired as a dog chasing butterflies all afternoon!  So dinner on those days?  Well lets just say they need to be really light, but recharge us and our sore muscles.  SALAD TO THE RESCUE.   Add a little protein to the mix and we are refueled in a healthy way.  Ready to pass out to face another day! 

In comes my "to make" list of goodies from Pinterest.  I found that Karina from Café Delites really knows how to do protein and salads.  This week I decided to make my version of her Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad (barely tweaking it)  HOLY COW!  I think that this marinade/dressing has to be the best one EVER.  I love it so much that I'm making this my go to marinade for everything grilled, baked, or pan fried.  It's that good.

To make this salad work for us on Workout Nights, I did some of the prep work while I was waiting for MGG to get home.  I made the marinade and prepped the veggies with the exception of the avocado.  As the chicken is grilled I used the grill pre-heating time to marinate the chicken for 15 minutes while it came to room temperature.  This worked out perfect and was so flavorful that it really didn't need much more time. 

About an hour after our workout MGG lit the grill outside and I threw the chicken in the marinade.  15 minutes later he threw the chicken on the barbie and I decorated the salad platter and sliced the avocado.  Chicken done, rested, and sliced and dinner was served!

The best part of all that?  The flavors of this salad were outstanding.  Seriously outstanding.  You need to make this now.  It is a great 30 minute meal, the perfect salad, and weeknights never tasted so good!

WORKOUT NIGHT DINNER ACCOMPLISHED!

Kitchen Note:  Lemon juice (acid) will cook your protein as it sits in the marinade.  For chicken it should not be left on more than a couple of hours or it will break down the protein too much and affect the texture of the chicken.  Beef and pork can be left in the marinade up to about 4 hours as they take longer to break down.






Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad

adapted slightly from Café Delites

serves 4

Marinade:
2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
cracked pepper, to taste

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, slice in half to make thin cutlets

4 cups lettuce leaves, washed and dried ( I used Lafayette mix)
1 large English cucumber, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, sliced
1 avocado, sliced

Whisk together all of the marinade/dressing ingredients in a large jug. Pour out half of the marinade into a re-sealable storage bag.  Refrigerate the remaining marinade to use as the dressing later.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat (or you can use and indoor grill pan).  Add the chicken to the marinade in the bag and allow to sit while coming to room temperature on the counter 15 minutes (or up to two hours in the refrigerator).

Prepare all of the salad ingredients and add to a large bowl or serving platter.  

Grill chicken on both sides until browned and completely cooked through. thin sliced chicken about 4-5 minutes on the first side and about 3-4 on the other side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees. 

Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes; slice and arrange in the salad. Drizzle the entire salad with the remaining dressing. Serve with lemon wedges if you like.