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!!!