Kickin' Chicken Kabobs

Quick, easy, and delicious, kabobs are one of my favorite grilled dishes. Everything cooks at once, which gets dinner to the table faster and lets the juices from the meat and veggies meld together to create complex and delicious flavors. Almost any meat works, but we went with chicken tonight for a healthy dinner.

Kabobs are super easy to put together.  Preheat the grill to high. If you're going to use wooden skewers, let them soak for at least 30 minutes to prevent scorching.  Cut your meat of choice up into 1 1/2-2 inch cubes and cover with oil, salt, and pepper. Cut vegetables into large slices and cover with oil, seasoned salt, and pepper.

To assemble, slide veggies and meat onto skewers. I start with a firm vegetable, like an onion, that won't easily slide off the skewer to hold everything in place. Aim for a ratio of 2-3 veggies per piece of meat. I put 3 cubes of chicken on each skewer and alternated off on the veggies.
Transfer to the grill (remember to oil the grates first) and grill, turning often, until chicken is cooked through.

Allow to set 3 minutes before serving. We used a basil pesto as a dipping sauce on the side, but these will taste great straight off the skewer or with your favorite bbq sauce.

 Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 white onion
• 1 red pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• 1 yellow squash
• seasoned salt 
• pepper
• EVOO
• 4-6 skewers
  

Taco Night at the Apollo

I love tacos (doesn't everyone?). Unfortunately, most people consider a taco to be a congealed, greasy, red sauce-infested mess of meat, cheese, and vegetation purchased from a fast food joint. Well not me. And tonight's dinner proves it. Tonight we dine on spice-rubbed chicken tacos with grilled poblano and onion. Sides are black beans with cilantro and lime and homemade tortilla chips with Joe's almost famous salsa.



Mexican food is great because it consists of relatively simple ingredients that come together to form culinary magic. These tacos are no different. As the name suggests, the foundation is a spice-rubbed chicken breast. Now, I'd love to take credit for the recipe, but some guy named Flay beat me to it. Start by prepping your grill to high heat (you should be able to hold your hand over the heat for 3-5 seconds before yelling). Mix the salt, ancho chile powder, garlic powder, pepper, cumin, and brown sugar together in a medium bowl. Coat one side of each chicken breast with the rub and the other side with salt. Drizzle with canola oil on each side and set aside. Cut the onions into 1/4 in. slices and coat with oil, salt, and pepper. Coat the poblanos with canola oil, salt, and pepper as well. I started grilling with the poblanos, then the onions, and then finally the chicken.



Once the grill is good and hot, start with the poblanos. You'll want to cook them, turning every 2-3 min, until they are good and charred. Once they're done, remove and cover them in a bowl for 10 minutes, or until the skin comes off. Peel off the skin, remove the seeds, and cut into strips.

The onions should cook 4-5 min per side or until both sides are golden brown. Remove and set aside to top the tacos.

Put the chicken on the hot part of the grill, rub side down. Cook for 3-4 min or until a crust has formed, then turn and move to a cooler part of the grill and cook until the inside hits 160 degrees. Cover the chicken with foil for 5 min to let the juices settle.



The black beans were super easy-just cook as directed and stir in the juice of one lime 5-10 min before serving. Serve topped with chopped cilantro and white cheese.

I made the chips out of some leftover corn tortillas. I fried them for 3 or 4 min at 375 degrees and drained on a cookie sheet covered with a paper towel. If you like, salt as soon as they come out of the oil so the salt will stick. The salsa is...not going to be revealed here. Maybe another post ;)



Taco prep is pretty straightforward. I tossed some flour tortillas on the grill for about 30 seconds on each side to heat them through, then served everything family style. My "taco sauce" is a mixture of mayo, yogurt, lime juice, and spices. Recipe is below. Just start with the chicken and build up from there!



To say this meal is worth the prep time is quite an understatement. Juli had dinner with me and loved it. It hit every southwestern craving I could muster up. I'm left with a full stomach, a cut finger (onions are my greatest enemy), and a mountain of dishes.



Ah, well. A'la cuisine!

Ingredients:

2 poblano peppers
2 White Onions
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Canola oil
chopped tomatoes, cilantro, & jalapeno peppers

Rub for chicken:
nocoupons

• 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black peppers

White taco sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced capers
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper