{Tasty Tuesday} Pesto Chicken Packets

It’s June, and if you haven’t already, it’s time to break out the grills!


We LOVE grilling. And this season got ten times more exciting because we purchased our very first gas grill.  Not new, though. Our friends were (sadly) moving to Texas, and were trying to offload their very nice gas grill. We made out like bandits for $50.  We LOVE the gas grill.  Hubby used to have to wrestle with the charcoal, gathering papers to get it to light, and then wait for what seemed like eternity for the coals to be hot enough to grill over.


Nevermore.


Now we turn up the gas and minutes later our meals are roasting.  Yay!


Last summer, Hubby and I took to creating Grill Packets. Essentially, you take your meat, marinate it, throw in some veggies, and wrap it all up pretty in aluminum foil.  Once the foil is sealed, you toss the packet on the grill and let it cook.  After the food is cooked through, you take the packet off the grill, transfer it to your plate, and (carefully) open the foil and enjoy! 


It’s kind of like slow cooking, but quicker. And tastier.


One of the easiest packets we enjoyed were our Pesto Chicken Packets. Easy and the chicken came out super moist.  Check out how to assemble your Pesto Chicken Packets below!

Pesto Chicken Packets

(serves 4)

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded or sliced thin 
• 8 TBS Pesto
• 1 onion, cut into slices
• 1 green pepper, cut into slices
• 1 red pepper, cut into slices
• 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes
• Salt, Pepper for seasoning
• Aluminum Foil

1) Cut 4 14-inch long rectangles of Foil.  Grease with cooking spray.

2) Divide veggies into 4 portions.

3) Place 1 portion of onion, red pepper, green pepper onto greased foil rectangle. Spread with 1 TBS of Pesto. Top with chicken.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top with another TBS of Pesto.  Add tomatoes on top/around Chicken and veggies.

4) Bring 2 ends of foil together.  Fold together, and bring up sides to seal.

5) Repeat with 3 remaining packets

5) Throw on hot grill for 30- 45 minutes (Check after 30 – if chicken juices do not run clear, fold the packets back on and check after 10 more minutes).

6) Take off the grill when finished – and let sit for 3-5 minutes. BE CAREFUL when opening of steam.

7) Serve with crusty rolls and enjoy!

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There are many different ways to create a Grill Packet, and it makes Summer Dinners

experimentally fun!  I’d love to know how these packets turn out for you (or how you

tweaked the recipe!).  Leave a comment below!

Join Steph, a Chester County Mom, as she adventures through blogging, life, marriage, cooking, parenting and bringing sexy back, but not necessarily in that order. You can find her at Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom.

Grill Gas Tank Coupon- Just in Time for Your Memorial Day BBQ

Memorial Day Grilling – Kebabs

I am so happy to have grilling weather back. To me, it is one of the easiest ways to entertain. Put together a few salads (which can be made ahead of time) and throw your meat and maybe your veggies on the grill when guests arrive and you are all set to go. I’ve been making a lot of kebabs lately for their variety and ease. I marinate my meat, seafood and/or vegetables a day ahead and skewer them and place them back in the fridge before guests arrive. I recently served these shrimp and andouille sausage skewers and they were a huge hit. You can even make cute little grilled hot dog and tator tot skewers for the kids.

RECIPE: Shrimp and Sausage Kebabs with a Smoky Paprika Glaze

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbs thyme, chopped
• 5 tsp smoked paprika
• 4 tsp Sherry wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1 lb. andouille sausage, cut into 1″ long chunks
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 red onion, cut into 2 layer wedges

Instructions:

1. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the first 8 ingredients and set aside.
2. Alternately thread shrimp, sausage chunks, tomatoes, and onion wedges on to the skewers.
3. Place the skewers on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Cover and chill skewers and bowl of glaze.
5. Heat grill on medium-high heat. Brush skewers on both sides with the glaze. Grill until shrimp are cooked through, turning and brushing occasionally with more glaze. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes.

* Kebabs can be assembled and stored in the refrigerator up to 6 hours ahead of time.

For more recipes and entertaining tips from Zareen visit her blog Cooking with Z.

First Grilling of the Season

It is beautiful out today!! We are going to have our first barbecue of the season to celebrate the warm temperatures. One of my favorite things about the nice weather is outdoor grilling. Now I would love to do this on Saturday but unfortunately the weather will not cooperate – Saturday’s going to be rainy and chillier *grumble.* So we will be taking full advantage of today! Unfortunately, it is a busy Friday and I have lots of running around to do. One of my favorite go-to meals for fast grill entertaining is Ina Garten’s Asian Grilled Salmon. It is so delicious and takes minutes to prepare. To accompany it, I love to serve her Sugar Snap Peas – again so good and couldn’t be easier. One of my favorite sides to serve.

RECIPE: Asian Grilled Salmon
Adapted from Ina Garten

• 6 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 tbs Soy Sauce
• 2 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp Garlic, minced
• 4 Salmon Fillets, skin on (about 3 lbs.)

1. Heat the grill. Whisk together the first four ingredients in a small bowl. Brush half of the marinade on the salmon and let it sit for 10 minutes.
2. Place the salmon skin side down on the heated grill. Discard any remaining marinade that the fish was sitting in. Grill 5-6 minutes, depending on the thickness. Flip over and grill another 5-6 minutes.
3. Transfer the salmon to a plate and pour the reserved marinade on top. Let the fish rest for 10 minutes.

RECIPE: Sesame Sugar Snap Peas

• Fresh Sugar Snap Peas
• Dark Sesame Oil
• Black Sesame Seeds
• Kosher Salt

In a large bowl toss together peas with a little sesame oil, sesame seeds and salt to taste.

For more recipes and entertaining tips from Zareen visit her blog Cooking With Z.

Tasty Tuesday

With good weather promised in the forecast (eventually) this week, I bring you this simple (and AWESOME) recipe I promised you last week.

I love grilling. I love the way it smells. I love the memories it evokes from cookouts past. And I love the way it makes me feel. It gives me the feeling of freedom and passion that Summer brings. And if you are anything like me, you cannot wait for the warm, carefree season to begin!

With summer-like weather supposedly coming at some point this week (a Spring Break week at that!), I thought it appropriate to share with you an amazing marinade recipe I stumbled upon. I found it last Spring, and used it religiously (read: 3-5 times a week) last Summer. Now that the weather is warming up, I have every intention of resurrecting the tasty vittle, celebrating what is to come!

This recipe is simple, and can be used with a variety of items – chicken, meat or vegetables. I love that the ingredients are stored in most pantries, and are easily at hand. It comes together in a cinch, and tastes absolutely delicious! Make sure to give it a try later this week when the sun breaks through the clouds, and your grill begs you to heat it up…

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Awesome Grilling Marinade

• 1 2-3 lb steak, 1-inch thick (look for the label “London Broil”) OR 8 pieces of chicken (your choice – I like boneless skinless chicken breast)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup Real Lemon from the bottle
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or 2 tablespoons of crushed jarred garlic

Combine ingredients (minus meat) in a bowl and whisk vigorously (until well combined). Place meat into a container (I use a gallon sized Ziplock bag, often double bagged) and pour marinade in (feel free to reserve a small amount for basting while you grill). Marinate for 2 -3 hours. Cook over medium hot coals (or medium-hot heat on a gas grill): 5-10 minutes per side for London Broil/beef, 5-8 meats per side for chicken. Times will vary with different meats and different grills.

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I love serving this alongside corn-on-the-cob, macaroni salad and deviled eggs. Augh! Just piecing that menu together makes me hungry and anxious to have a cookout!

Feel free to use this recipe on boneless skinless chicken breasts, london broil, or vegetables. Kabobs would be delectable if you marinated the skewered items in this first.

So don’t delay – I’ll be posting some great Cookout Side dishes in the season to come. Have a great week!

You can read more about Steph and her recipes at her other blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.