Monterey Chicken

Not only does this look delicious (it's one of my favorites to make when we have company over) but it is super tasty! Really, how can you go wrong with grilled marinated chicken topped with barbecue sauce, cheese, and bacon? Garnish with some fresh chives or scallions and you've got yourself a showstopper! This is a great recipe to enjoy before the end of summer and the end of grilling season.

Monterey Chicken

Marinade:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 Tb. canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tb. vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder (I like to use half regular and half chipotle)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper
dash onion powder
1/2 of a 12 oz. can Sprite or 7-up

4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
4 slices bacon, cooked crisply and sliced in half horizontally
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (I prefer bulls-eye)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese
sliced chives or scallions and/or diced tomatoes for garnish (optional)

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in gallon-size ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake to cover chicken completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Grill chicken over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes per side or until cooked through. Immediately top each piece with 1 Tb. barbecue sauce, 2 Tb. cheese, and 2 bacon pieces (1 slice, halved). Sprinkled with chives, scallions and/or diced tomatoes to taste. Serve immediately!

This is also my favorite fajitas recipe, see the recipe here, so you can grill up double the amount of chicken you need and make fajitas or quesadillas with the extra chicken the next night!

Grilled Chicken Gyros

One of my favorite food bloggers, Annie, calls this her all-time favorite meal. If you've seen the things Annie makes, you'll know that everything she makes looks amazing, so if it's her favorite, it must be amazing. I made this for dinner last week and I was not disappointed. I wouldn't go so far as to call it my favorite meal by any means, but all in all it was a great meal and nice to have something a little different. I would definitely make it again (only next time I'd make twice as much chicken and save half for another night to eat with rice and grilled veggies, that chicken was incredible).

Grilled Chicken Gyros
adapted slightly from Annie's Eats

Chicken:
2 heaping Tb. plain Greek yogurt (Yoplait makes this now and I was able to find it at Wal-Mart, or you can use regular plain yogurt but it is not as thick)
4 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 Tb. dried oregano
2 Tb. olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts, tenders, or thighs)

Tzatziki Sauce:
8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 hot house (English) cucumber, shredded, or 1 regular cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tb. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tb. olive oil

4 pitas (I recommend whole wheat)
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 hot house cucumber, sliced
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1. Combine all chicken ingredients in large ziploc bag. Marinade in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and not more than 4 hours.
2. Prepare tzatziki sauce by first squeezing excess water from cucumbers. Place shredded cucumbers in papers towels and twist until the excess moisture is removed. Combine all tzatziki ingredients except olive oil. Drizzle tzatziki with olive oil, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill chicken until completely cooked (about 5 minutes per side, depending on the type of chicken pieces you have). Let rest for 5 minutes after cooking, then cut into slices.
4. Heat pita bread (either in the oven or on the grill). Assemble pitas by layering 1/4 of the chicken, onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers on each of the 4 pitas. Top with desired amount of tzatziki sauce and serve immediately.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

Really, there are no words to describe these. I made them for dinner last night and they were incredible. All day at work today I could not stop thinking about them. The minute I walked in the door my husband had the leftovers warmed up and we devoured them in less than two minutes. This is one of the most delicious dinners I've ever made. And they'll definitely be made again very soon. Like tomorrow.

This recipe combines my two favorite things from the Brazilian restaurant Tucanos: bacon-wrapped turkey (I substituted chicken) and grilled pineapple. The brown sugar glaze caramelizes on the bacon and pineapple and the smoky flavor from the grill puts this over the top. Make this. Soon. You won't regret it.


Bacon-Wrapped Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 - 2/3 lb. smoked bacon, cut into thirds (I like to use the pre-cooked bacon, 10-12 slices)
1 fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
bamboo skewers

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Soak bamboo skewers in water. Arrange work area with chicken, bacon, and pineapple. Mix brown sugar and water in small bowl and set aside.
2. Wrap one slice of bacon around one cube of chicken. Place on bamboo skewer. Alternate with pineapple chunks. Repeat until there are 3 pieces of chicken and 3 pieces of pineapple on each skewer. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Baste skewers with brown sugar mixture. Grill skewers for 7 - 10 minutes on each side, until bacon is crispy and chicken is cooked through, basting occasionally.
4. Serve with rice and stir fry veggies or salad.