Spring has sprung, and with that comes one of my favorite times of the year: grilling season! Outdoor cooking gives us the opportunity to spend more time in the backyard, and who doesn’t love a picnic? On the nights we prepare salmon we toss a few hot dogs on the grill for the kids. While the main dish is cooking, the kids love to create obstacle courses or other games that Mom and Dad must compete in. Run over here, jump over that, crawl under this and then run back over here. Needless to say, the adults are elated when the meal is ready!
Chicken Kabobs
Kabobs are one of our favorite meals and work great as a backyard picnic main dish.
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (8-oz.) plain yogurt
1 c. greek vinaigrette or Caesar dressing
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. oregano
1 red onion, cut into 1" pieces
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1" pieces
Directions:
In a large resealable bag, place chicken, yogurt, dressing, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and oregano. Zip and mix with your hands. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Soak your wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning. After meat has marinated, thread alternating pieces of meat, onion and green pepper on skewers. Heat grill to medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear. We use a meat thermometer to test for 165 degrees F internal temperature. This took about 40 minutes because I cut my chicken cubes a bit bigger.
Margarita Chicken
Ingredients:
1 can (10 oz.) frozen non-alcoholic margarita mix, thawed
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz. each)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the margarita mix, lime juice and garlic. Pour 1 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade. Drain and discard marinade that was with chicken. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat for 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees F, basting frequently with reserved marinade.
Simply Marinated Ribeyes
Ingredients:
4 beef ribeye steaks
1/2 c. barbecue sauce
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. steak sauce
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. steak seasoning
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
Directions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine all ingredients except the steak. Once the ingredients are combined, add the steaks, seal the bags and shake to coat well. Refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Prepare grill to medium-hot heat and cook steaks about 10 minutes on each side or until an internal thermometer reads 145 degrees F or more.
Grilled Salmon
Source: Allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. water
1/4 c. vegetable oil
Directions:
Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
