Grilled Herbed Chicken

My very first blog was a "Quick and Easy Marinated Chicken". That was back on April 23rd of this year. As we have progressed into the summer the fresh herbs have become plentiful and this recipe uses the same marinade as before but I have included some fresh herbs to compliment the dish. Fresh Sweet Basil, Dill Weed and Rosemary chopped and combined add some distinct flavor to an already tasty breast of chicken. I will list the recipe for the marinade again and then we will talk a little more about the fresh herbs.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast          about 2 pounds
Wishbone Italian Dressing                     1-16 ounce bottle
Garlic Powder                                        1 Tbs
Fresh Ground Black Pepper                   to taste
Sea Salt                                                    to taste
Parsley Flakes                                         1 Tbs

Okay, rinse the chicken in cold water and season with the sea salt, garlic, parsley flakes and black pepper. Add about 1/2 the bottle of salad dressing and mix so that the chicken is well coated with the dressing. Refrigerate and let marinate overnight. When it's time fire up that grill and while it's getting hot we will finish getting the chicken ready. Hopefully you have fresh herbs in your garden but if not you can usually purchase these at the local market. Again for this I used fresh Rosemary, Dill and Basil. I used about a half a cup total of chopped herbs so if you chop about 3 Tbsp of each that should give you plenty. After the herbs are all chopped and mixed together take the chicken out of the marinade and put it out on a cookie sheet. Coat both sides well with the herb mixture and head for the grill. Always start your chicken breast with the skin or smooth side down on the grill as this side presents the best. People eat with their eyes as well as with their mouths so it's important that the food looks as great as it tastes. The chicken breast I buy from the local Fareway Store are large. Each lobe weighs about a half  pound so they take 10-12 minutes on each side to get them done. A smaller breast will of course take less time, maybe 8-10 minutes on each side. Any way the chicken breast will firm up as it cooks and if you're not sure cut a slit in the thicker part and take a look. Now you can pair this up with any sides that you like. Today we added a nice green salad, sliced tomatoes from the garden, fresh sweet corn and grilled whole wheat French bread loaded with butter and garlic. What ever you decide to put with your chicken I'm sure it's going to be a great summer meal that everyone will enjoy!!!

Refrigerator Pickles

I have cucumbers coming out of my ears. They are everywhere. It's that time of year when cucumbers are abundant. I have made cucumber salad, given many away, made refrigerator pickles and I still have half a dozen on the kitchen counter and more coming outside. The first batch of pickles are about half gone so I guess it's time to make another. These pickles have lots of flavor, are easy to make and will keep in your refrigerator for 2-3 months. They never seem to last more than a week around here though. I like to peel my cucumbers for this but it is not really necessary so if you prefer to leave the skin on your cucumbers by all means do so. As you can see there is more than cucumbers in this recipe so I guess I should list the ingredients so we can get these pickles made.

Cucumbers, peel and slice thin                                              6 cups
Yellow Onion, cut in strips                                                   1 medium
Fresh Garlic, peel and slice thin                                            3 cloves
Carrots, peel and slice thin on the bias                                  2 each
Red Bell Pepper, seed and cut in strips                                 1 each
Fresh Jalapeno, seed and cut in strips                                   1 each
White Wine or Apple Cider Vinegar                                      1-1/2 cups
Granulated Sugar                                                                 2 cups
Fresh Dill, chopped                                                             1/4 cup
Sea Salt, optional                                                                 1 Tbsp
Black Pepper, fresh ground                                                  to taste

Cut all the vegetables and layer in a 2 quart glass or stainless bowl. Combine the vinegar and sugar and mix well until sugar is pretty well dissolved. Add salt, pepper and dill weed to vinegar mixture and pour over the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate, pickles will be ready in 12 hours and will keep in refrigerator for 2-3 months. Yields about 1-1/2 quarts. These pickles go well with any summertime meal and are great to have just for a snack. Enjoy!!!
 

Ginger Lime Marinated Shrimp and Scallops

Shrimp and Scallops, a great combination. Add some fresh ginger, some lime juice and of course a little garlic and you are going to get some great flavor. Now make a fresh strawberry mango salsa to go along with it and you're really stepping it up. I used a pound of both shrimp and scallops for this recipe. There were just 3 of us for dinner and there really wasn't much left. Of course we were hungry, dinner was late due to an unexpected visitor and it was very good so it was hard to stop eating it. You should be able to feed 4 easily with this recipe if you add in all the components such as a nice green salad, maybe some brown rice and a green vegetable. Some sliced French bread on the grill smothered with butter and garlic will go well with this also. Lets start with the marinade as you will want to let this sit for an hour or two. Here's what you will need:

Olive Oil                                                     1/4 cup
Lime Juice                                                   from 2 limes
Fresh Ginger, peel and mince                       2 Tbsp
Fresh Garlic, minced                                   2 cloves
Fresh Chives, chopped                               1/4 cup
Black Pepper, fresh ground                         20 turns of pepper mill
Cajun Spice                                                1 Tbsp

Make sure your seafood is cleaned and thawed, mix all the above ingredients well and add it to the seafood. Mix this well but gently so as not to bust up the scallops. Put this in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and it will be ready to go. Before you grill it though you will want to put it on skewers so you don't lose any of that precious seafood to the fire. While that is marinating lets make some strawberry mango salsa. For this you will need:

Fresh Mango, peel, seed and cut in small chunks                          1 each
Fresh Strawberries, rinse, remove stem and cut in chunks             8-10 each
Fresh Jalapeno, remove seeds and dice small                                1 each
Fresh Garlic, minced                                                                   1 clove
Fresh Ginger, minced                                                                  1 Tbsp
Black Pepper, fresh ground                                                         to taste
Fresh Chives, chopped                                                               2 Tbsp
Lime Juice                                                                                  1 lime
Olive Oil                                                                                     2 Tbsp

Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate until to time to serve.

Okay, the shrimp and scallops are done marinating, you have them on the skewers all ready to go, lets cook. You will want the grill to be good and hot because these items don't take very long to cook and if your grill isn't hot you won't get much color. I keep the shrimp and scallops on separate skewers as the cooking times may be slightly different and we want to make sure they are done but not over cooked. Put your seafood on the grill and let it cook for about 6 or 7 minutes before you turn it. Give it another 6 or 7 minutes on the other side and it should be done. The shrimp will turn kind of a deep pink color, be firm and should char a little bit and the scallops will firm up and also should char just a little. Times may vary some depending on how hot your grill is and the size of the shrimp and scallops but this should be pretty close. Take it in and serve it up with the salsa and all your favorite side and again you've got a refreshing summer meal that every one will enjoy!!!

Grilled Spicy Chicken Salad with Honey Mango Vinaigrette

Crisp Romaine lettuce is the base for this salad. Add some spicy grilled chicken tenders, fresh strawberries, red onions, fresh blueberries, toasted almonds and a sweet and vinegary mango dressing and you have a summer salad that will knock their socks off. The heat from the spicy chicken, the fresh fruit and the sweet but tart dressing, the nutty flavor of the almonds, the crisp romaine and the bite of the onion all blend together to give you a flavor sensation that is out of this world. I really think you're going to love this one. Lets get started by making the vinaigrette. Here's what you will need:

Fresh Mango, peel, seed and chop small             1
Champagne Vinegar                                           1/4 cup
Water                                                                1/4 cup
Red Onion, minced                                            2 Tbsp
Fresh Garlic, minced                                          2 cloves
Fresh Jalapeno, seed and mince                          1 each
Lime Juice                                                         from 1 lime
Black Pepper, fresh ground                                about 10 turns
Honey                                                               1/2 cup
Dijon Mustard                                                   2 Tbsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil                                        1/2 cup

In a food processor or blender combine chopped mango, vinegar and water, process until mixture is pureed smooth. Pour into a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients except the olive oil.  If you have an immersion blender you can just start with the mixing bowl to puree the mango. Any way you have all the ingredients together except the oil, mix these ingredients well and then slowly whip in the olive oil. This should all blend together well with no separation. Cover and set aside for service. Chill if you like. Yields about 2 cups.

Rinse and quarter about a pound of strawberries, rinse about a 1/2 pint of blueberries and toast a couple of ounces of almonds. About 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven should do it. Cut 1/4 red onion in strips. Rinse and chop 1 head romaine lettuce.

Now the chicken. I guess the amount depends on how many people you want to feed. Figure about 4 ounces of chicken per person or salad. I made about 2 pounds of chicken so we would have plenty of leftovers. Rinse the chicken with cold water and drain well. Put the chicken in a bowl and add a little salad oil, just enough to lightly coat as it will flame up when you put it on the grill if you use too much. Add a generous amount of your favorite Cajun spice and mix it well. Now chicken tenders are kind of small so they will cook quickly. In order to get some nice color you will want to have a pretty hot grill. About 5 or 6 minutes on each side on a good hot grill and your chicken should be done. Cut the chicken in chunks and build the salad. There is really no rhyme or reason for this step. Start with a bed of lettuce and top it with the rest. The important part is to make it look pretty. Serve this up with some nice grilled whole grain garlic bread and you have a nice refreshing summer meal that you're sure to enjoy!!!

Balsamic Marinated Breast of Chicken

Here is a marinade that is full of flavor and will definitely bring a smile to those taste buds. Traditional balsamic vinegar is of course made in Italy and is aged for a minimum of 12 years and up to 25 years. Most of the stuff we see is a modern inexpensive imitation and is mass produced. It is commonly used for salad dressings with oil and for marinades such as the one we are making today. If you happen to have the good stuff, great, but if not the other will just have to do. Lets see what we need besides vinegar.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast                               2 pounds

Balsamic vinegar                                                       1/2 cup

Olive oil                                                                    1/2 cup
Fresh Garlic, minced                                                 4 cloves
Black Pepper, fresh ground                                        to taste (lots)
Fresh Basil, chopped fine                                           1/2 cup

Rinse the chicken in cold water and trim up any extra fat. Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight if you like. When it's time, fire up that grill and away we go. The length of time to cook your chicken really depends on the size. If your using chicken breast that are about 4 ounces each 7 or 8 minutes on each side should be plenty of time on a good hot grill and if your chicken breast are larger of course it's going to take a little longer. The chicken breast I get from Fareway are huge and usually take 20-25 minutes. As it cooks the chicken will become more firm to the touch. Again if you are unsure turn that chicken over and cut a slit in it , take a look and see for yourself. No pink, it's done.

Now sometimes it's kind of nice to have a little something to go along with your chicken so I made a Bruschetta topping to go with this particular dish. It's very pretty and compliments the chicken very well. Here's the ingredients:

Fresh Tomato, diced small                     2 cups
Red Onion, diced small                           1/4 cup
Fresh Garlic, minced                               2 cloves
Fresh Basil, diced small                           1/4 cup
Sea Salt                                                  pinch
Fresh Ground Black Pepper                    to taste
Olive Oil                                                2 Tbsp
Balsamic Vinegar                                    2 Tbsp

Mix all ingredients well and chill until time to serve.

I also chose to add a Lime Basil cream sauce to this dish. Just a little something to round it all out. For the Lime Basil cream you will need a half pint of heavy whipping cream, juice from 1 small lime, a pinch of sea salt, a little fresh ground black pepper and maybe about 1/4 cup of chopped fresh Basil. In a small sauce pan add all the ingredients for sauce except the Basil. Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the cream thickens slightly. Keep an eye on this as that cream will come right up and boil over if you don't catch it. Once it has thickened pull it off the heat and reserve for later. Add the basil when you are ready to serve. 

So now we have the chicken done the sauce is made and we have a nice Bruschetta topping to compliment the chicken. Add some brown rice and a nice colorful vegetable and you have a wonderful dish that I am sure every one will enjoy!!!

Sweet Potato Crusted Tilapia

So tonight we had some fish and I swear every one of us is a little bit smarter. This dish has a culmination of flavors that all blend together very well. I was really quite pleased with the results. Sweet potatoes and Dijon mustard coat the fish and place it on a bed of wilted spinach with carrots, onions and plenty of garlic. Compliment this with a Lime Cilantro cream sauce and you've got something to talk about. I had one person telling me she really doesn't like fish but.........her plate was clean. Thaw the tilapia fillets in the refrigerator over night or you can put them in a bowl and run cold water over them for about 20 minutes and they should be thawed. The first method will save some water. Now that the fish is thawed lets see what we need to put on it.

Tilapia Fillets, 3-4 ounce                                 6 each
Sweet Potatoes, peel and shred                       2 large
Dijon Mustard                                                as needed
Black Pepper, fresh ground                            to taste
Garlic Powder                                               to taste
Olive Oil                                                       2-3 ounces

Put your fish on a cookie sheet to catch the mess and season well with the garlic powder and black pepper, put a nice amount of Dijon mustard on one side of the fish and spread it  evenly on the fillet, press a nice amount of sweet potato on to the mustard and repeat the same with  the remaining fillets. I kind of split up the sweet potatoes into 2 piles so I don't use too much, leaving the second pile for the other side of the fish. Turn all the fillets over and repeat the process for the other side. The fish is now ready to cook but before you do lets get the stuff together for the wilted spinach and the sauce. For the spinach you will need:

Fresh Spinach                                   1- 10 ounce bag
Red Onion, julienne                           1/4 medium
Carrot, cut in matchsticks                  1 large
Fresh Garlic, minced                         2 cloves
Black Pepper, fresh ground                to taste
Sea Salt                                             pinch
Olive Oil                                            2 Tbsp

And for the lime cilantro cream you will need a half pint of heavy whipping cream, juice from 1 small lime, a pinch of sea salt, a little fresh ground black pepper and maybe about 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro.

Okay, things are all lined up so lets start cooking. Heat a large skillet with medium heat, add 2-3 ounces of olive oil and then carefully place the coated fish in the pan. I have a large electric skillet that worked great for this. Now that the fish is cooking go a head and start the sauce. In a small sauce pan add all the ingredients for sauce except the cilantro. Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the cream thickens slightly. Keep an eye on this as that cream will come right up and boil over if you don't
catch it. Once it has thickened pull it off the heat and reserve for later. Cook the fish for about 8-10 minutes and give it a turn being careful to get under it good with your spatula so you don't disturb the sweet potato crust much. At this point you want to get a 2 quart sauce pan hot to cook the spinach. You're going to want some medium high heat, add the olive oil and carrots, onions and garlic. Cook this just a few minutes and then add the whole bag of spinach. Stir until all the spinach has wilted and the vegetables are mixed well with it. By now the fish should be done, the sweet potatoes should be a golden brown and a little crisp on both sides. Let's plate it up. Split the spinach evenly between six plates, place the fish on the spinach  and drizzle the sauce around the outside of the fish and spinach. Garnish the whole thing with some chopped cilantro and it's time to eat. Enjoy!!!

Whole Wheat Penne Pasta Salad

I made this salad for a potluck at a neighbors house on the fourth of July. I stood in front of the pasta at the store unable to decide, regular pasta or whole wheat. The whole wheat is better for you but there will be a lot of kids there and you know how kids are, what kind of noodles are those....they look funny, what's wrong with them? Well I thought about it for a little while and decided the kids probably wouldn't eat it any way. It's full of vegetables and green stuff and what kid's going to want to eat that, right? So I bought the whole wheat pasta and away we go. Guess what, I kind of watched and looked around and all of the kids had some pasta salad on their plate and most of them actually ate it. I even noticed a couple of them getting seconds, I guess you just never know for sure do you? Any way it's a nice salad with lots of flavor so let's get started. Here's the ingredients:

Whole wheat penne pasta                                    1 - 14 ounce box
Grape tomatoes, cut in 1/2                                   1 pint
Red onion, julienne                                               1/2 medium
Carrot, cut in matchsticks                                     1 large
Broccoli, cut bite size floret's                                1 bunch
Green bell pepper, cut in strips                             1 large
Fresh Spinach, chopped coarse                            about 2 ounces
Fresh Basil, cut in ribbons                                     about 1/4 cup
Fresh Garlic, minced                                             4 cloves
Black pepper, fresh ground                                   to taste ( lots )

Cajun spice (optional )                                          to taste

Wishbone Robusto Italian Dressing                       24 ounces ( 1-1/2 bottles )

Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta, when you are cooking pasta for salad you want to be sure to cook it done instead of al dente as you won't be adding any more heat to it. If your not sure follow the directions on the box, they are usually pretty accurate for pasta. While you're waiting for the pasta start chopping the vegetables. Put it all in a large bowl so when it's all done it will be easy to mix. This recipe makes about 6 quarts so choose your bowl accordingly. So I'm cutting red onions julienne which is basically fine strips but you can give them a medium dice if you like, and matchstick carrots, if your not comfortable with doing that you can buy them already done or just cut the carrot in 1/2 the long way and then cut 1/2 coins. Really you can cut your veggies any way you might desire as long as it's bite size and fits on the fork. When the pasta is done drain it and rinse it well with cold water, add it to the bowl of cut veggies, add the seasonings and Italian dressing, mix it well, give it a taste and refrigerate until it's time to serve. Again I like Wishbone Italian dressing as it has a lot of flavor but you can use what ever brand of dressing you prefer and still have a wonderful salad. This salad would also be good with Ranch dressing or a nice Balsamic vinaigrette, it really all depends on your preference. If your plating it up a small sprig of fresh basil adds a nice touch. There it is, a nice fresh whole wheat pasta salad that even the kids will enjoy!!!

Easy and Quick Spicy BBQ Chicken

Did you ever think about the boneless skinless chicken thighs setting there amidst all the different cuts of chicken. I'll bet that a lot of you never ever gave them a thought or even knew that they were there.  Well just like all the other chickens in the hen house there are many applications for these juicy little pieces of poultry. One of my favorites is to season them up, toss them on the grill and smother them with BBQ sauce. First of course you need to give them a rinse with some cold water, then I like to season them with some fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder and a generous amount of Cajun spice. Now if you don't have Cajun and you want spicy you can always use some cayenne pepper. Be careful though because that cayenne will knock your socks off if you get too much. Again it's really up to you how spicy you want it. If you like it hot then by all means load it up but if not be a little conservative and go lightly. You can always add more spice but it becomes very difficult to try to take it away. I like the boneless skinless thighs because they cook pretty quick and I find them to be very satisfying and full of flavor. It's going to take about 20 minutes on some medium heat to cook these guys from beginning to end so lets get started. Start them with the skin side down. ( Now you are saying but they are skinless. ) Well if you look you can tell which side used to have skin and if you can't I will tell you. It's the smooth side, the side where the bone was will be rough and uneven. Let them cook for about 5 minutes or so and give them a turn. Right away get some of your favorite BBQ sauce on them and close the lid. Give them another 5 minutes and turn them again and apply some sauce to the other side, close the lid and wait another 5 minutes or so. Now turn them one more time and apply some more sauce. Now your sauce should be caramelizing a little bit and cooking on to the chicken. If it's not and it's just kind of lying there and running off your grill may not be hot enough  or you are turning too soon, on the other hand if the sauce is burning your grill is probably too hot or you are waiting too long to turn them. Not much to do about it at this point but you will know for the next time and be able to adjust the heat as needed. Any way after the final turn you should be looking at the side that used to have skin, this is the side you want to present when you plate your chicken up. Give it another 5 minutes or so after that final turn and your chicken should be done. Put it on your platter, bring it in the house and serve it up with your favorite sides. Enjoy!!!