Sunday, November 1, 2009

Marinated Greek Chicken Skewers


Some days I'm overflowing with words to write about these recipes. I'll be in the middle of emptying the dishwasher, a jog at the gym, or stabbing someone with a needle, and ideas start flowing. My mind starts talking blogspeak. If you are a frequent blogger you might understand. You train of thought starts writing itself as a post.

And then there are days, days when I have all the time in the world to spend on my laptop being creative and clever, and I can't think of a single word to say. Like today. My mind feels empty and no matter how deep I dig, I'm not finding anything. So I write about nothing, in hopes that something will materialize on the page. So I give you permission to stop reading right here (I probably should have warned you sooner), and ignore the rest of my ramble.

Still there? You must be incredibly bored. But since you still appear interested I suppose I'll say something about this recipe. It is, after all, a blog about cooking. It's not that this recipe isn't inspiring. It is. It's fantastic. Grilled chicken skewers marinated in garlic, olive oil, and oregano. Simple. Fast. Succulent. I loved, loved, loved it! I just don't know what else to say besides, try it out. I bet you have most of these ingredients already on hand. Dip the sizzling skewers in tzatziki or hummus, stuff 'em in a pita, or spread 'em over a bed of spinach or Greek salad. This is a wonderfully uncomplicated and delicious dish.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 red onion, quartered
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, coat chicken in 2 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Marinate 30 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp. olive oil and lemon juice. Set aside.

2. Preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Discard marinade and thread skewers (if using wooden, make sure to soak them in water for 20 minutes first to prevent burning) alternating chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill, turning and basting occasionally with the olive oil-lemon mixture, until the chicken is just cooked through. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Epicurious)

4 comments:

  1. This is so great! I made this for dinner tonight, thanks for your blog! :) <3

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  2. I love this recipe! The first time I made it, I put the lemon juice in the marinade because I didn't read the recipe closely. That worked just fine too! :) Such a great go to recipe!

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  3. Can you marinate the chicken overnight instead of 30 mins?

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    Replies
    1. I'm not sure- I say give it a try and let us know how it goes! These definitely don't need to be marinated that long, but it probably wouldn't hurt. Reallly acidic marinades tend to break down meat if left on for too long but I don't think this one isn't very acidic- especially since you don't add the lemon juice till the end.

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