Recipe #331: London Broil

This is SO easy and sooo delicious.  I've already made it twice and plan to again this week!  Perfect for entertaining!  This one is from food.com.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, Crushed
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 lbs london broil beef ( approx)
• 
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all marinade ingredients together.
2. Lightly score meat in a diamond pattern on each side.
3. Place meat in a resealable bag. Pour in marinade. Squish meat and marinade around to get all the nooks and crannies.
4. Marinate in refrigerator 2-3 hours or up to 24 hours, rotating occasionally.
5. 20-30 minutes before cooking take meat out of the refrigerator to come up in temperature.
6. Cook in the broiler or on the grill 5-7 minutes per side depending on thickness and desired doneness.

Recipe #228: Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Chicken and Rosemary

What DOESN'T taste better wrapped in bacon?  ....I can't think of anything.  This recipe is ridiculously easy!  I'm always skeptical about chicken breasts, worried they'll turn out dry, so I tend to cook thighs... but no worries here- they were delicious.  I served this with some bbq sauce for dipping, and the grilled Brussels sprouts recipe located here on the side.

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken breasts
Thick-cut bacon, 2 per breast
1 sprig fresh rosemary per breast
Garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

Sprinkle garlic powder over chicken breasts.  Lay rosemary sprig on chicken.  Wrap with bacon strips.  Pin with toothpicks.  Grill on med-high heat about 8 minutes per side or until done.

Recipe #227: Grilled Romaine and Shrimp with Vinaigrette Dressing

This meal, although not photogenic, is fresh and delicious.  I adapted the shrimp and romaine part from a recipe I found via Google search, and the vinaigrette dressing recipe is from a fellow foodie and friend.  My hair smells like grill smoke and my stomach is happy!

Salad Ingredients:

Shrimp (I used 8 jumbo scampi for 2 of us)
Whole romaine hearts (1 per 2 people)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Small onion, sliced into rings

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

8 tbs olive oil per person (OR split half and half olive oil and lemon juice, which I did here)
4 tbs balsamic vinegar per person
1 tbs Dijon mustard (I used 2)
1/2 tbs hot chili sauce (I used 1)
Salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Ingredients...

Directions:

Thread shrimp onto oiled skewers.  Brush or spray shrimp with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Cut romaine lengthwise in half.  Brush or spray lettuce with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Brush onion rings with oil.

Prepped....

Place onions and shrimp on preheated grill and cook about 4 minutes for one side.  Turn over, and grill the other side.  Put the romaine middle-side down on the grill while the second side of the shrimp cooks, and grill until it wilts slightly.

Put romaine on a plate and top with shrimp and onions.  Spoon or pour over the vinaigrette.  Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe #226: Wedge Salad with Grilled Grape Tomatoes and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Another grill recipe!  Only the tomatoes are grilled for this one, but it does make a huge difference.  I followed the recipe except for adding extra of some of the ingredients (noted).  Of COURSE bacon makes it even better!  Recipe credit to Foodnetwork.com.

Ingredients

1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into 4 wedges
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled (I used a little more more)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pint grape tomatoes (I used a whole pint)
2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled (I used four strips)
1/4 cup finely diced red onion


Directions

Heat a grill or grill pan and place the lettuce wedges on a platter.

Prepare the vinaigrette by briskly whisking together the Dijon, vinegar, and garlic. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to create an emulsion. Add the sugar and blue cheese, and whisk gently to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly oil the tomato slices, and season with salt and pepper. Grill until slightly charred on the outside and then transfer to the platter with the lettuce wedges. Pour the vinaigrette over the lettuce and tomato and top with bacon and red onion.

Recipe #225: BBQ Ribs

I love my grill.  I grill nearly every day that the weather will allow.  Beef, pork, chicken, fish, lamb, veggies, fruits.......somehow up to this point I hadn't tried ribs yet, and on a whim and without a chosen recipe, I bought some at the store.  I hunted down this awesome recipe on the always-awesome allrecipes.com, which I chose for its rave reviews.  I was delighted that I already had all of the other ingredients except an onion.  I knew that it being a 2-day process, these would turn out great since all of my recipes that take a long time are definitely worth the wait.  I wouldn't change anything about this recipe unless you want it to be more spicy- then I'd add some hot pepper spice to it.  The sauce already has a little bit of a kick but it's also sweet.  I had to wash my face after- there's no elegant way to eat ribs!

INGREDIENTS:

4 pounds baby back pork ribs (I used about 3lbs) 4 cloves garlic, sliced (my changes are in the directions) 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 tablespoon paprika 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 2 teaspoons chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (I had light brown)

1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup ketchup 1/4 cup chili sauce 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons onion, chopped (I used onion powder) 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1 clove crushed garlic (my changes in the directions)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place ribs on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Scatter 4 cloves of sliced garlic over ribs. Cover, and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Cool slightly.  (Instead of garlic, I used black pepper and garlic powder)
2.	In a small bowl, mix together white sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and ground cumin. Rub spices over cooled ribs. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3.	In a small saucepan, mix together brown sugar, cider vinegar, ketchup, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, onion, dry mustard, and 1 clove garlic. Simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, for 1 hour. Reserve a small amount for basting; the remainder is a dipping sauce. (I used minced garlic, seen in the below pic as yellow pieces, instead of the clove)
4.	Preheat grill for medium heat.
5.	Place ribs on grill. Grill, covered, for about 12 minutes, basting with the reserved sauce, until nicely browned and glazed. Serve with remaining sauce for dipping.

Recipe #221: Buffalo Chicken Burgers. Well, sort of....

The title of this blog is Practice Makes Meals.  I'm not kidding.  There are plenty of times I try a new recipe and I mess it up or it just disappoints me.  Today, I messed up for sure, but I was able to salvage it and I have to say, I'm really pleased with the results.  SO here's a blog about what went wrong, and how I managed to not panic (miraculously).

Here's the recipe I was trying to attempt:

http://littleleopardbook.com/2012/08/28/whats-for-dinner-buffalo-chicken-burgers/

Look how beautiful.  I was quite excited to make these.  This is a picture from that blog, in case you don't feel like linking to it:

Now, here's the directions, with my mistakes below:

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 celery stalk (finely chopped)
• 1 carrot stick (peeled and shredded)
• 1/2 red onion (finely chopped)
• 1 garlic clove (crushed) (I used minced garlic)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup franks red-hot buffalo sauce
• 1/2 cup Mary’s Gone Crackers Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs (I used regular breadcrumbs)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 6 hamburger buns
Optional Toppings (I just chose baby spinach because I figured there were already plenty of flavors involved)
• tomatoes (sliced)
• baby spinach
• red bell peppers (diced)
• green onions (diced)

Instructions

1. Start by combining the ground chicken, celery, carrots, red onion and garlic in a large mixing bowl.
2. Next, add the egg, 1/4 cup buffalo sauce, bread crumbs, chili powder and paprika. (Here's my first major mistake.  I was half paying attention and dumped ALL of the buffalo sauce in- 1/2 cup.  This made the burgers really sticky and wet.  I pondered adding more breadcrumbs to dry it out, but I didn't.)
3. Form into 6 patties. (Second mistake- I thought that I should just make four, so I ended up with four large sticky mounds of slop)
4. Next, place on the grill over medium heat for 8-10 minutes per side.
5. While the burgers are on the grill combine the additional 1/4 cup buffalo sauce with 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing. (I read this direction and panicked, realizing I did step 2 wrong)
6. Toast the buns, then spread the mixture onto each side of the bun.
7. Remove the burgers from the grill and place onto the bun.
8. Top with the blue cheese crumbles and any desired additional ingredients.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Let's look at pictures of what happened since I wasn't following instructions correctly, and I'll tell you what I did to fix it.

Grilling did not go well.  They weren't cooking evenly since they were too big, and flipping them made them fall apart.  After some initial mild panic and wondering if I was going to have to find a Plan B for dinner, something crossed my mind.  I scooped them up and plopped them in an ugly messy pile on a plate.

I took foil and made a quick "pan" out of it, threw the messy burgers on, used a fork to break them apart, and threw them on the grill to cook more evenly for awhile.  The consistency became more like sloppy joes.  I knew this would mean for a kind of messy sandwich, but there was no way I was going to deprive myself of a buffalo-sauce-flavored dinner after all of that prep work.

I spread just bleu cheese dressing (without it mixed with even more buffalo sauce) on both sides of the bun.  Baby spinach for a topping.  Spooned some of the still-sticky (from the sauce) chicken mixture on the other side and topped it with bleu cheese bits.  I put the top bun on and smashed it together a little, and VOILA!  Dinner!  And it definitely was really good!  I have plenty of leftovers and am pleased with how this turned out, a sort of buffalo chicken sloppy joe.  

Recipe #218: Greek-Inspired Lamb Salad

I bought a pack of two little lamb grillers recently.  I'm not even sure now what the cuts are, but I snatched them up because they were cheap (normally I like the more expensive chops) and reminded me that for all of the lamb dishes I've made, I hadn't yet grilled the lovely meat.  I wasn't sure what I'd make at the time, but I bought them anyway.

This recipe is my own.  I made it up based on looking at several other recipes for ideas.  Nick said it tasted like a restaurant's entree salad.  The amounts are approximate because I threw this together without expecting to blog it, but it really was delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

The lamb:
1lb grillable lamb cut
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

The topping:
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1 large or 2 smaller tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cucumber, halved and sliced
Kalamata olives, to taste
Feta cheese, to taste

The dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Lemon juice, about 2 tbsp, to taste
Salt, pepper, to taste
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

And also salad greens.

DIRECTIONS:

Before grilling time, let the lamb sit out, with a light coat of olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Preheat grill on high heat.  In the meanwhile, put the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and feta in a mixing bowl.

Mix all ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl.  Drizzle some over the toppings in the mixing bowl and stir them to coat them with the flavors.

Grill the lamb to desired doneness, 5-10 minutes per side, depending on thickness.  When done, cut the lamb into strips.

Spread salad greens on serving plates.  Put topping on the greens.  Put lamb on the toppings.  Drizzle a little more of the dressing on top of everything.

Grilled lamb before cutting.  Mouth-watering!

The dressing and the toppings.

Recipe #216 and 217: Grilled Tuna Steaks with Dill Sauce, Grilled Brussels Sprouts

I LOVE that I can grill again!  So satisfying and delicious.  Here are two new recipes in one meal.  The problem is, the pictures don't do either of them justice at ALL.  Actually, the green sauce looks a little weird here but TRUST me, the sauce is amazing, and the sprouts came out perfect.  I even like the blackened leaves.  There was enough sauce to save for something else, too.  The tuna recipe comes from allrecipes.com, and the sprouts from foodnetwork.com, with my changes included.

THE TUNA:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 1 1/4 inch thick tuna steaks
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard (I used dijon)
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3 tablespoons white sugar (I used 2)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons dried dill (I used 2- 3 is probably major overkill)

Directions:

Combine the lemon juice with 1/2 cup olive oil in a sealable plastic bag; seal and shake.  Add the tuna steaks and store in refrigerator to marinate while the grill preheats.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.

Whisk the brown mustard, mustard powder, sugar, vinegar and 1/3 cup olive oil together in a bowl; stir in the dill.

Remove the tuna from the marinade and discard the marinade.  Cook the steaks on the preheated grill until the flish flakes easily with a fork, about 6 minutes per side.  Drizzle the steaks with the mustard and dill sauce to serve.

THE SPROUTS:

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used garlic powder so it would stick better)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat a grill to medium.

Cut off the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and remove yellowing outer leaves.  Place into a large, microwave safe mixing bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 3 minutes.  Add the olive oil, garlic, mustard, paprika, and salt and pepper and toss to combine.  Skewer the sprouts onto metal skewers (I used wooden ones sprayed with oil).  Place the skewers onto the grill and cook for 5 minutes (I cooked them for 6, timed with the first side of the tuna steaks).  Turn over and cook for 5 minutes (I cook them for about 4 and then put them on the upper rack while the steaks finished).

Recipe #184: Thai Tuna Kabobs

Here's another one adapted from my new cookbook Grill It!  It was so tender and came out just the right amount of cooked-ness.  Nick had seconds, too which was a good sign.  Next time I make this, though, I think I'll double the marinade, and marinate the individual pieces in it BEFORE skewering, so they sit more in the marinade and get the most flavor.  Otherwise, this was great over jasmine rice.  Healthy and citrus-y.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound fresh or frozen (thawed) tuna steaks, cut 1 inch thick
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro or to taste
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel or lime peel
3 tablespoons lemon juice or lime juice
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 to 2 fresh Thai, serrano, or jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch slices
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
Lime wedges (optional- I just used lime in a little bottle)

DIRECTIONS:

Soak skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.

For marinade, in a small bowl, combine cilantro, lemon peel, lemon juice, vinegar, chile pepper, sesame seeds, and oil; set aside.

On 7-8 skewers, alternately thread fish (against the grain so the fish stays together), zucchini, and red onion, leaving 1/4 inch between pieces.  Place kebobs on a platter or in a shallow dish and brush marinade over kebobs.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Preheat grill and reduce heat to medium.  Place kabobs on oiled/greased grill rack over heat.  Cover and grill, about 5 minutes per side, until tuna is flaky but still a little pink in the middle.

Garnish with lime wedges.

Recipe #182: Buffalo-Style Turkey Wraps

New recipe from my new cookbook, Grill It! by Better Homes and Gardens.  This wasn't spicy at all once I grilled it, so if you want spicy, add more hot sauce as a topping.  The flavor was really great though- which led to me eating TWO wraps.  Tsk tsk...

Assembly time...

INGREDIENTS:

2 turkey breast tenderloins (1-1.5 pounds)

3 tablespoons bottled hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 10-inch spinach flavor tortillas (I couldn't find spinach- these are chipotle pepper ones)

Thin carrot strips

Thinly bias-sliced celery

Shredded lettuce

Bleu cheese dressing

DIRECTIONS:

Cut each tenderloin in half horizontally to make 4 steaks.  Place turkey steaks in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish.  For marinade, in a small bowl (I just dumped mine in the bag) stir together hot pepper sauce, oil, paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Pour over turkey in bag; seal bag.  Marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Drain turkey steaks, discarding marinade.  Wrap tortillas tightly in foil.  Place turkey on grill and tortillas on rack, and grill turkey about 10-12 minutes, or until done.

Thinly slice turkey and assemble ingredients on warm tortillas.

Recipe #178: Asian Grilled Chicken

Another winner from allrecipes.com!  Amazing marinade, a good smokey teryaki combo with common ingredients.  I already had everything in my pantry- just had to pay five bucks for some chicken thighs!  The skin burned in the grilling, but that was perfect for me since I remove it anyways.  I definitely will do this again!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
• 1 tablespoon molasses  (I used waffle syrup since I didn't have molasses- close enough!)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup canola oil (I used olive oil- I prefer it)
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used bone-in, skin on!!)

Directions

1. Mix together Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, liquid smoke, and molasses in a resealable plastic bag until the molasses has dissolved. Add sesame seeds, brown sugar, paprika, garlic salt, garlic pepper, minced garlic, and canola oil; mix well. Coat chicken thighs with the marinade, seal, and marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator, redistributing the chicken in the marinade occasionally.  (I marinated overnight)
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
3. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess. Grill on preheated grill until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), and is firm and opaque, about 12 minutes per side. Discard any remaining marinade.

Recipe #176: Delicious Burgers

I wanted to make some burgers on the grill for my friends, and I didn't want them to be bland and boring.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it's a keeper!!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds extra-lean ground beef (I used 1lb 97/3, 1lb 85/15)
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce  (this doesn't make the burgers spicy- just adds flavor)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup rolled oats (I used 1/2 cup of bread brumbs)

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat and lightly oil grate.
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion soup mix, egg, hot sauce and oats. Shape into 6 patties.
3. Grill patties over medium high heat for 10 to 20 minutes, or to desired doneness.

Recipe #174: Grilled Veggie Sandwich

Delicious.  The cheese totally makes this one- don't skip it!  I cooked everything longer than the recipe said, and put my veggies in a grill veggie basket.  So hearty, you don't even notice that there's no meat!  The feta cheese came in sizeable chunks that didn't easily melt on the grill, but the hot veggies made the cheese soft and warm anyways.

After I took this picture, I smashed the two halves together in a giant, delicious, messy sandwich!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally  (I was only able to get ciabatta)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
4. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. 

Recipe #172: Grilled Artichokes.

This recipe has rendered me speechless.  A big thank you to my co-blogger Tom, who sent me this recipe.  I had already bought some artichokes and was planning on steaming them, but then this recipe came along, as well as a nice day for grilling.  The result:  something I can't stop drooling over, hours after I ate my share.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 to 4 large globe artichokes
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, oregano, and thyme
• Salt

DIRECTIONS

1 Place chopped herbs in a small bowl, cover with olive oil. Microwave on high heat for 30 seconds (or heat oil and herbs on the stove top until warm). Let the herbs seep in the warm olive oil while you prepare the artichokes.

2 Prepare a large pot with an inch of water at the bottom and a steamer rack. Prepare the artichokes. Have lemon wedges ready. If you want a nice presentation, use scissors to snip away the pointy tips of the artichoke leaves. As you trim the artichokes, rub the cut areas with juice from the lemon wedges to prevent the artichokes from turning brown from oxidation. Use a vegetable peeler to cut away the thick outer layer of the artichoke stems. Trim the stems to 2 inches from the base of the artichoke. Cut off and discard the top 1/2 inch of the artichokes. Cut the artichokes in half. Use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the fuzzy chokes and the small inner artichoke leaves. Rub lemon juice all over the inside and exposed cut areas of the artichokes.

3 Heat the water in the large pot with a steamer rack on high. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium high and place the artichoke halves, cut side down on the steam rack. Cover. Steam for 20 minutes (less of more, depending on the size of the artichokes), until you can easily pull off the outer leaves, and you can pierce the heart easily with a knife. The artichokes can be just a tiny bit less cooked than would be typically perfect for steamed artichokes, as you will be cooking them further on the grill.

4 Prepare your grill for direct, high heat. Use a pastry brush to brush the artichoke all over with the herb infused oil. Sprinkle all over with salt. Place the artichoke halves cut-side-down on the grill grates. Cover, and grill for 5 to 10 minutes, until you have nice grill mark on the cut sides of the artichokes.

To serve, sprinkle the cut sides with more lemon juice. Serve alone or with mayonnaise, remoulade, or aioli.  (I just melted down a stick of butter in the microwave.)

I love my grill!

Definitely fans of this recipe...

(Thank you to Simplyrecipes.com)

Recipe #167: Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

I almost oven-roasted yet another pick of the chick the other day, but since the weather was fantastic, I decided to look for a recipe to grill these 2 breasts, 2 thighs, and 2 drumsticks.  I already had all of the ingredients on-hand, luckily, and I'm really glad I decided to do this- everything was so tender!  My only change is that next time I marinate, I'm going to put some of the marinade under the skin of the chicken.  Some of the flavor is lost to your taste buds if you don't eat the skin, which we normally don't.

Ingredients

1	package "pick of the chick" chicken, or one whole chicken cut into pieces
	(this is two thighs, two drumsticks, two breasts, but you could mix and match)
3/4	cup pineapple juice
3	tablespoons peanut oil
2	tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot  (I used powder)
1	tablespoon brown sugar
2	cloves garlic, minced
1/2	teaspoon cracked red pepper
1/2	teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Place chicken in shallow bowl.
2. In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour marinade over chicken, turning to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or longer.
3. Prepare lightly greased grill for cooking.
4. Drain chicken; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill 6 to 8 inches from heat source, allowing 20 to 30 minutes for breasts and thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 170°F. and 30 to 40 minutes for thighs and drumsticks and thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh registers 180°F., turning occasionally.  (I kept everything on for 30 minutes)

Recipe #165: Grilled Fish Chipotle Lime Tacos

I had two swai (pangasius/basa/Vietnamese catfish) filets in the freezer for too long, and I decided that with my newfound interest in grilling, it was time to defrost and grill them.  I really like fish tacos, so naturally they were destined for such a meal.  I searched on allrecipes.com as usual and found this great recipe.  It was on the spicy side (although Nick and I aren't very tolerant to spicy, so these might be nothing to someone who loves spicy food)... but the flavor was fantastic and very fresh.  The only modifications I made were to use red cabbage, and to omit the cilantro.  Also, I only had a half hour to marinate instead of overnight.

Side note- this fish, which is known by the names basa, swai, and pangasius, is really good.  I've posted about it before.  (see here.)  REALLY cheap (two big filets cost me less than four bucks) but still good and very versatile (and MUCH better than cod, IMO)- light white flakey and not too fishy.  I've seen it in any grocery store I've gone to.

Not too photogenic, but really delicious.

Ingredients

• Marinade
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
• 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into chunks
•  
• Dressing
• 1 (8 ounce) container light sour cream
• 1/2 cup adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
• salt and pepper to taste
•  
• Toppings
• 1 (10 ounce) package tortillas
• 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 small head cabbage, cored and shredded
• 2 limes, cut in wedges

Directions

1. To make the marinade, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, honey, garlic, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning, black pepper, and hot sauce in a bowl until blended. Place the tilapia in a shallow dish, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover, and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours.
2. To make the dressing, combine the sour cream and adobo sauce in a bowl. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning. Add salt, and pepper in desired amounts. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Set grate 4 inches from the heat.
4. Remove fish from marinade, drain off any excess and discard marinade. Grill fish pieces until easily flaked with a fork, turning once, about 9 minutes.
5. Assemble tacos by placing fish pieces in the center of tortillas with desired amounts of tomatoes, cilantro, and cabbage; drizzle with dressing. To serve, roll up tortillas around fillings, and garnish with lime wedges.