25. GRILL GIRL (MARINATED CHICKEN BREASTS)

Last night I was a grill girl. Dave’s usually the keeper of the grill, but he was mashing the spuds, so I took over, and can I just say YUM!  Easiest meal on the planet, besides baked chicken, is grilled marinated chicken breasts. 

This winter we hardly had winter.  It was temperate to the point of wearing sandals in February.  Warm as in the Box elder bugs never did go away, and mosquitos are feasting on my grandbaby Walt! We will be dealing with the consequences of a mild, snowless winter here in Utah the whole summer long.  But for now, it’s kinda nice to just step outside on the deck in your bare feet and inhale that scent of dinner on the BBQ grill.  The East Wing joined us; Libby and Sherry and Elliott.  Little Quincey was having tantrum time so Katie stayed home to feed Jonah and deal with Miss Q. My table loves having a circle of humans around it.

This meal cooks up quickly and effortlessly. Grilled chicken with a nice green salad is super, but tonight we had it with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Marinade for chicken breasts:

There are lots of marinades, and you can easily create your own. Basically they are comprised of something acidic, some sort of oil, and some sort of flavoring, including salt.   Here are a few marinades I use.  I rarely measure with exactness, but the rule of thumb for me is to measure until you earn the right to not measure, if you catch my drift. You’ll need enough marinade to cover the amount of chicken you’re using, so the measurements will vary. Mix the marinade then put boneless, skinless chicken breasts in it. I’ve also used chicken tenders, which I pound flat and weave onto skewers after they have marinated. Stir the meat occasionally in liquid.  Marinate at least an hour, but preferably a few hours. An easy way to marinate is to put breasts in a Ziploc bag then add marinade.  Keep it in the fridge and knead every 20 minutes. I used marinade #1 last night. It’s the one I use most often cuz I always have those ingredients on hand.  (I added a couple drops of Liquid Smoke to last night’s batch.)

1.     1.) 1 can Sprite or 7 UP. (Do not use Diet pop), 1/3 c soy sauce, 1/3 c oil, 1 t. garlic salt.  If you are my sister Ann Marie, who can’t have garlic in any way shape or form, then skip the garlic salt and use plain old salt and pepper.

2.     2.) 1 ½ c coconut milk, juice of a few limes, 2 nubs crushed minced fresh garlic, 1/3 c oil, a sprinkle of crushed chili pepper and salt and pepper.

3.    3). 1 can Sprite, crushed fresh garlic, juice of lime or lemon, salt & pepper, 2 T Dijon mustard.  Whip well so mustard is broken up in liquid.

Remove chicken from marinade and toss out the liquid.  Get grill nice and hot.  Cook  first three minutes on hot with lid closed so you get a nice sear on the meat to keep the juices in. Flip after three minutes. Lower temp to med-hot. and cook an additional three minutes.  Depending on the thickness of the breast, repeat this process till it’s done.  Thin breasts will be done in less than 10 minutes. Test doneness with a knife right there by the grill. If you see glossy pink meat, cook it longer.  If it’s white and even inside, it’s done. Do not overcook.  The breasts will continue to cook a bit when you remove them from the grate.

These marinades also work with turkey breasts.