Perfect BBQ Chicken

Recently I have been searching the internet for the "best" recipes.  I simply go to Google and type in things like best chicken recipe, best steak marinade, best side dish,  and many others.  I know that everyone has a favorite recipe that they think is the best.  That is what I am looking for.  Tonight we are trying what Kraft Foods calls Perfect Grilled Chicken.  It was perfectly easy and created tasty juicy chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup of BBQ sauce
• 1/3 Cup Caesar Dressing
• 1 lb of Chicken Breasts

Combine bbq sauce and dressing in a bowl.  Pour over chicken, covering all sides, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Grill until chicken is cooked throughout.

I served with Jalepeno Twice Baked Potatoes and Zucchini.

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Saucy Grilled Pork

Until about a year ago I thought that cooking pork on the grill was weird, but after trying a few recipes suggested by some friends I quickly changed my mind.  This recipe could be done with pork chops but I think that pork tenderloin is much more likely to be tender and juicy.  This recipe was adapted from one that I made a long time ago that used most of these ingredients to create a rub for a whole pork tenderloin.  I decided to turn it into a marinade and slice into pieces for less cook time.  I made the entire meal on the grill which made for a super easy clean up!  I made green beans and potatoes in foil packs- no additional pots and pans!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Pork Tenderloin cut into Medallion pieces
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Cup Catilina Dressing
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/8 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Mustard
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Serves 4

In a small bowl combine all ingredients except pork and mix well.

Take each piece of pork and give it a gentle pound with your fist to slightly flatten it.  Pour marinade mixture over pork and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 Preheat grill.  Sear each side of the meat.  Then grill until desired internal temp.  Mine took about 5 mins on each side. 

Balsamic Grilled Sirloin

Throwing together a marinade can be as simple as looking through your refrigerator and pantry and throwing things together which is exactly what I did here.  Sometimes they get rave reviews from the family and other times I just toss the paper that I wrote down the ingredients and measurements on and we forget about it.  This one was a little different from most other marinades that I make because I don't think I have ever made one with balsamic vinegar.  I am glad I gave it a try because it added a different flavor to set it apart from the others and we all loved it!

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 4 Tablespoons Italian Dressing
• 1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons A1 Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
• 4 Sirloin Steaks (about 6 oz each)

serves 4

Combine all ingredients, except steaks, in a small bowl.  Whisk ingredients.  Pour mixture over steaks and let marinade for about 30 minutes.  Grill steaks to desired temperature.  

You can serve steak whole or slice across the grain and serve over rice.  I served with Paprika and Parsley Roasted Potatoes and Steamed Asparagus.

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Coriander and Cumin Grilled Pork Medallions

I have decided that I am going to grill more.  I don't mean eat food that was cooked on the grill more often I mean I MYSELF will actually use the grill more often.  I usually pass the job off to someone else like my husband or even my mother-in-law.  Grilling can't be that hard right?!?  Now if someone just teach me how to start it, I will be good to go!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 1.5 lb Pork Tenderloin
• 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper

Serves 6

Cut pork tenderloin in medallion like pieces about 3/4" thick.  In a small bowl combine all ingredients except pork in a small bowl.

  Next, brush mixture on pork pieces.  Let sit for about 15 minutes.

  Grill to internal temperature of at least 145 degrees.

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Apple Butter BBQ

This is one of those recipes that I started the blog post for and then forgot to complete it.  Darn these kiddos for wanting me to play with them instead of share this delicious recipe!  LOL!  So here we are about 6 months later and I am just getting around to completing it.  I made this for dinner again tonight with a new mac and cheese recipe and the whole thing was a HIT!  I love mixing old favorites with new recipes because it helps to keep dinner interesting.  The BBQ sauce in this recipe is on the sweeter side.  The nice thing is that you can start with this and then spice it up if you would like.
Check out the Sharp Cheddar and Gruyere Mac and Cheese.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Ketchup
• 3/4 Cups Apple Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• A couple dashes of Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 6-8 Chicken Thighs

The directions are super simple.  Combine all ingredients except chicken and mix well.  Divide sauce into two bowls.  The chicken can either be grilled or baked.  I have done it both ways, but since it is February and still freezing cold I decided to save my finger tips and bake it.  Place chicken in baking dish and brush on Apple Butter BBQ sauce.

Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  I like to brush on some more sauce about half way through the baking time.  The sauce is so yummy, I serve the reserved sauce on the side.  

This recipe was featured on our 30 Days of Dinners June Menu, Make sure to check out all of the other great recipes on this month's menu!

Grilled Korean Flank Steak

The original recipe for this dish came from Food & Wine.  I changed it slightly.  First I substituted Brown Sugar for regular white sugar, I wanted it to have more spice than sweet.  Also,  I only made half of the original recipe which was plenty for our family.  My husband loves this dish because it is spicy!  If you would like to reduce the spice just cut the amount of crushed red pepper down.

Ingredients:

• 1-1 1/4  lbs Flank Steak
• 1 Clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Dry white wine

Serves 4

Combine all ingredients except flank steak in a small bowl and mix them well until the sugar dissolves.  Place steak in a shallow bowl and pour marinade over top.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.  

Grill until cooked to desired temp.  I have cooked this both on the grill outside and in the cast iron grill pan inside.

I served with lo mein rice noodles and veggies seasoned with a little garlic and soy sauce and grilled scallions.

 I brushed the scallions with olive oil and grilled about a minute on each side.

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Red HOT Chicken Kabobs

My husband often asks me to make boneless chicken wings which I don't mind doing, but they take a little bit of time and effort to make.  I never have enough time to get to everything so today I decided I was going to take a short cut and make a spicy grilled chicken to tide him over until I have a chance to make exactly what he wanted.  Plus this is probably going to be one of the only days nice enough to grill outside... it is December after all!

Ingredients:

• 3 Boneless Chicken Breasts (Cut into large chunks)
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 3/4 Cup Franks Red Hot
• Juice from 1 Lime (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients except chicken and mix well.  Pour marinade over chicken and refrigerate for about an hour.  Place chicken on skewers and grill until cooked throughout.

I served this with Better than Rice-a-Roni Broccoli and Cheddar Rice.

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Key West Grilled Chicken

My in-laws recently returned from a trip to Key West.  My husband and I love Key West so this marinade is inspired by their vacation there.  The chicken was delicious, but the whole time I was eating it I was thinking "I want to use this marinade to make chicken fajitas!" So needless to say I will be making this marinade again!  

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Key Lime Juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Rosemary
• 3 Tablespoons Honey
• 1/4 Cup Canola Oil
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 4-5 Chicken Breasts

Serves 4-6

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a small bowl.  Whisk them together until smooth.  The honey will disolve pretty quickly.  Place chicken in ziploc bag or glass bowl and cover with marinade.  Refrigerate for about 30-60 mins.  Grill until cooked throughout.

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Spicy Chipotle Shrimp

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The marinade for this shrimp has just the right amount of spice and heat to make it different from any of our other shrimp recipes.  One trick I have learned is that Chipotles in Adobo Sauce can be frozen so if you buy a can and only use a few place the remaining peppers and sauce in a freezer bag and place them in the freezer.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
• 1 Clove of Garlic (minced)
• 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
• 3 Tablespoons of Honey
• 2 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients except shrimp in small food processor.  Process until smooth

Place shrimp in ziploc bag and pour marinade over.  Place in fridge for about 30 minutes

Skewer shrimp

Grill 2-3 minutes on each side or until shrimp are pink in color.

ENJOY!!

Garlic Ranch Chicken Kabobs

I have been trying to do some serious catching up blogging.  Summer vacation is certainly keeping us busy around here.  So not only am I way behind in blogging (I must have 30 posts that I am working on!  YIKES!) but we have been experimenting with lots of SUPER quick and EASY dinners.  Summer baseball has taken over our week nights but we love it!  This recipe was part of the week when I accepted the challenge to keep the oven off...I took the challenge more for simplifying dinner than to not heat the whole house.  But either way the week was a success! Obviously, we have been in a big hurry around here...I only had time to snap one picture of the chicken.  Sorry that it had to be one of the raw chicken... It looked much more appetizing after it was cooked.  Easy and delicious

Ingredients:

• Minced Garlic
• Ranch Dressing
• Parsley
• Boneless Chicken Breasts (cut into large cubes)

Combine the first three ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Pour over chicken and marinate for about 45 minutes.  Place chicken pieces about an inch apart in skewers.  Remember if you are using wooden skewers you need to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before you place them on the grill to prevent them from burning.  Cook on grill until chicken is cooked thoroughly.  

Grilled Garlic Cilantro Pork Chops

You are probably thinking the exact same thing that I thought as I was preparing this...."Cilantro...On pork chops?"  Yep!  I bought cilantro earlier this week for a different recipe and I hate to see things go to waste (I have tried growing cilantro twice with no success, if you have any tips please share!) so that is why this marinade was concocted.  My family is very critical when it comes to trying new recipes, so I didn't even want to tell them that I put cilantro in the marinade.  

Ingredients:

• 4-6 Pork Chops (I used 6 boneless thin cut)
• Cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• Sea Salt
• Pepper

Serves 4-6

Combine all ingredients except pork chops in small food processor and process until well combined.  

 Next I used the new meat tenderizer that I got from Pampered Chef.  It is double sided.  One side is flat for pounding out/flattening meat and the other side is spikey. I used the spikey side and lightly tenderized the pork chops.  Then I Salt and Peppered both sides of pork chops.  

 Pour over pork chops, flip to make sure all sides are coated, and marinate for 30-60 minutes.

 Heat Grill and cook pork chops until desired temperature flipping throughout.

I served with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Check out these other favorite recipes

Grilled Bourbon Pork Medallions

Creamy Garlic Ranch Pork Chops

Honey Garlic Shrimp

I am a huge fan of cooking shrimp because they cook in very little time and always taste delicious!  I used to think that shrimp had to be cooked in butter and garlic (so good, I know) but now I experiment with lots of different marinades and spices.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 2 Tablespoons of Honey
• 3 Tablespoons of Lime Juice
• 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Combine all ingredients except shrimp in a small bowl.  Mix well. Place shrimp in Ziploc Bag and pour marinade over it.  Make sure shrimp is covered in mixture.  Squeeze out the air, place in fridge for 30-60 minutes.  

Remove shrimp from fridge and place on metal skewers.  Pour marinade over top.

Place shrimp on preheated grill.  Cook them for about 2 minutes on each side or until they turn pink.

These shrimp can also be cooked inside in a skillet.  Just heat a large skillet and cook the shrimp about two minutes on each side.  There isn't a need for additional oil the marinade should be enough.

Be sure to check out some of my other favorite shrimp recipes!

Tequila Lime Shrimp

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Lemon Grass Skewered Shrimp

Baked Potatoes on the Grill

These are quick and easy baked potatoes.  I know I said that I was going to make this meal entirely on the grill, but I decided to take a short cut and use the microwave for a few minutes.  Our evenings are so busy and I figured no one would mind if I saved a few minutes.  

Ingredients:

• 4 Potatoes
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil

Wash the outsides of the potatoes.  Dry them off.  Pierce each potato multiple times with a fork.  Brush the skins with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Place potatoes on a plate and microwave for 6-8 minutes (depending on size) turning halfway through.  This step can be eliminated and they can cook all the way through on the grill, but it takes a very long time.  So to speed up the process I cooked them a little more than halfway in the microwave and finished them on the grill.

 Place on grill and cook for additional 12-14 minutes turning throughout.

We are going camping this weekend and I plan on making these potatoes for sure!

I served with Garlic Balsamic Flank Steak and Grilled Corn on the Cob with Basil Sea Salt Butter