Fire Up The Grill

Grilling season is here so dust off your barbecue, fire it up and get your grill on! Savor the flavors of the season.
Several years ago we finally retired our original red Weber grill from the 70's. It looked something like the picture below but more battered/used looking.  

That the Weber grill concept was born from a buoy?
In 1952 George Stephen Sr. was working at Weber Brothers Metal Works in Chicago, Illinois, manufacturing marine buoys when he came up with an idea for a better grill. His invention: a dome-shaped grill with a lid to protect food from the elements, while sealing in that only-from-the-grill barbecue flavor.

George Stephen cut a buoy in half, added some air vents and legs and, in the process, invented the grill that would spark a backyard revolution. He is pictured below. 

Technology advances today have made charcoal and gas grills much more sophisticated than decades before. 

This week's postings will feature a variety of recipes perfect for the grilling season. 

Moroccan Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Tzatziki Sauce

Tasty grilled skewered chicken marinated in a Moroccan style spice blend. It is easy to make marinating the chicken in lemon juice, olive oil and a blend of spices and then grilling it to perfection. The spice blend is made with a number of ingredients including a base of paprika with a touch of heat being provided by some cayenne and a hint of the exotic by the cinnamon, ginger and turmeric. Grilling the chicken only takes a few minutes. As a time saver serve kabobs using a prepared box of herb couscous or Basmati Rice (Roasted Chicken Flavor and Herbs with Orzo Pasta).

Recipe adapted from closetcooking.com   and serves 4.              

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless-skinless chicken, cut into chunks 
• 2 TB. lemon juice (half of a fresh lemon) 
• 2 TB. olive oil , Garlic Olive Oil or Eureka Lemon Fused Olive Oil 
• 1 tsp. paprika 
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon 
• 1/8 tsp. ginger 
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric, saffron or curry
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1/4 tsp. pepper 
•  2 cloves garlic, minced
• lemon slices
• 10 large wood skewers (soaked at least 30 minutes in water).
• optional veggies to thread on skewers: zucchini (green or yellow), sliced into 1/3″ rings, medium bell peppers, cut into 1″ pieces, 1 medium sweet or red onion, sliced into chunks, medium sized mushrooms, rinsed and dried on paper towels

Directions:                  

• Place chicken pieces in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Combine  spices in another small bowl and sprinkle over chicken pieces. Place in a freezer zip loc bag and marinate the chicken for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Drain marinade and skewer the chicken with veggies. Grill over medium-high heat until cooked, about 10 minutes per side.

Serve with Tzatziki Sauce-a Greek cucumber yogurt dip. It’s a healthy sauce you can serve with chicken, grilled veggies, pita chips, gyros and as a raw veggie dip.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 English cucumber, peeled about 1 cup 
• 10 oz. plain Greek yogurt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill or  1-1/2 tsp. dried dill
• 1 TB. freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt, or to taste
• 1/8 tsp. black  or lemon pepper

Directions:

• The cucumber should be peeled, finely diced and strained of it's juices. I squeezed it really tight by the fistful with two paper towels. Getting rid of excess juice is important so that you tzatziki sauce isn't watery the next day.
• Combine the strained and chopped cucumber with plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, dill, salt and pepper.
• Mix everything together in blender pulse a few times, but not puree it. For best flavor make the sauce the day before for flavors to meld.