.Some people have gym insecurities, I have grill insecurities.
Greek Chicken Skewers
All girls know what it's like entering the "weight room" aka the beefy, macho, grunting men's room of the gym. Every gym has that room tucked away where all the over jacked nuggets like to live. Entering that room causes a myriad of emotions. One...the men use the same amount of strength to lift those dumb bells above their head, as they do to violently throw them on the ground. I like to call the whole act "The Grunt and Plop." You're faced with the notable grunt, of a man lifting 200 above his head, followed by the loud crash of that being forcibly thrown onto the ground. Two...where are the instructions for these machines? Crawling on one of those things backwards, is a unique embarrassment I hope no one ever has to endure.
This summer my apartment complex installed two new grills for resident use. This was very exciting for me. However, it brought along a whole new slew emotions. Grilling insecurities. I never thought this would plague me. I love grilling. Every Christmas my mom puts me in charge of grilling the beef tenderloin. I've tackled the unconventional grilling items like clams, watermelon, pizza. Last summer I even turned my parents grill into a mock smoker. It's safe to say, me and the grill are friends. Truth be told, when you have to make that bold walk out your apartment doors, past the parking lot and to the grills, you loose a bit of confidence.
First, this isn't walking into your backyard. You have to come equipped with transportation items. Disposable tins, tupperware, items to transport raw nasty chicken, items to transport delicious cooked chicken back home, are all required. Second, you need to provide your own flipping devices, which I fully support. Yet, with only two hands, this is starting to require a small carry on to suffice my dinner needs. The other night when I decided to experience this new amenity, I had a rude awakening. Maybe I'm not the only foodie in town? Well actually, maybe I'm the only foodie on a budget! Entering those grills was like taking a seat at the Plastics table in Mean Girls. These kids by the grills are the cool kids. Actually, I wouldn't have a seat, I'd probably be over with the "girls who eat their feelings" table. The grill lids lifted up and emerging through the smoke were filet mignons, juicy cheese filled homemade burgers, shrimp kabobs. I couldn't help but feel inadequate. Even the dog took no particular interest in my Fat Free Ken's Italian dressing marinating boneless chicken breast. Can't blame him. What was I thinking in my first grill outing?
Well tonight my friends, I came to impress. Because I am a millennial who overpays in rent and also because I live alone and am just not yet at the stage to eat a filet mignon on a weeknight by myself, I still opted for the chicken. We added some flare. I love greek anything. I love greek cheese, I love greek salads, I love greek dressing, I love John Stamos...what can go wrong. Kabobs are fancy and are great for impressing so I skewered that chicken to show it that I mean business. I think I have dull taste buds because I'm finding myself more and more often eating raw red onion, so you bet we skewered that too. I'm oddly obsessed with zucchini so I stabbed that bad boy too. Feel free to make these your own and add any other veggies. The other day I made kabobs in the judgement free zone of my parents house with marinated artichokes which were delicious. This beauty of this recipe is that it is still so easy and perfect for a weeknight.
Even though I was a bit more confident in my presentation tonight, I was still flawed. I forgot to bring tongs down and was forced to hand turn these 500 degree skewers in front of people I was actually holding a conversation with. The burns on my fingers are totally worth having to run back upstairs to get tongs...
This summer my apartment complex installed two new grills for resident use. This was very exciting for me. However, it brought along a whole new slew emotions. Grilling insecurities. I never thought this would plague me. I love grilling. Every Christmas my mom puts me in charge of grilling the beef tenderloin. I've tackled the unconventional grilling items like clams, watermelon, pizza. Last summer I even turned my parents grill into a mock smoker. It's safe to say, me and the grill are friends. Truth be told, when you have to make that bold walk out your apartment doors, past the parking lot and to the grills, you loose a bit of confidence.
First, this isn't walking into your backyard. You have to come equipped with transportation items. Disposable tins, tupperware, items to transport raw nasty chicken, items to transport delicious cooked chicken back home, are all required. Second, you need to provide your own flipping devices, which I fully support. Yet, with only two hands, this is starting to require a small carry on to suffice my dinner needs. The other night when I decided to experience this new amenity, I had a rude awakening. Maybe I'm not the only foodie in town? Well actually, maybe I'm the only foodie on a budget! Entering those grills was like taking a seat at the Plastics table in Mean Girls. These kids by the grills are the cool kids. Actually, I wouldn't have a seat, I'd probably be over with the "girls who eat their feelings" table. The grill lids lifted up and emerging through the smoke were filet mignons, juicy cheese filled homemade burgers, shrimp kabobs. I couldn't help but feel inadequate. Even the dog took no particular interest in my Fat Free Ken's Italian dressing marinating boneless chicken breast. Can't blame him. What was I thinking in my first grill outing?
Well tonight my friends, I came to impress. Because I am a millennial who overpays in rent and also because I live alone and am just not yet at the stage to eat a filet mignon on a weeknight by myself, I still opted for the chicken. We added some flare. I love greek anything. I love greek cheese, I love greek salads, I love greek dressing, I love John Stamos...what can go wrong. Kabobs are fancy and are great for impressing so I skewered that chicken to show it that I mean business. I think I have dull taste buds because I'm finding myself more and more often eating raw red onion, so you bet we skewered that too. I'm oddly obsessed with zucchini so I stabbed that bad boy too. Feel free to make these your own and add any other veggies. The other day I made kabobs in the judgement free zone of my parents house with marinated artichokes which were delicious. This beauty of this recipe is that it is still so easy and perfect for a weeknight.
Even though I was a bit more confident in my presentation tonight, I was still flawed. I forgot to bring tongs down and was forced to hand turn these 500 degree skewers in front of people I was actually holding a conversation with. The burns on my fingers are totally worth having to run back upstairs to get tongs...
homemade tzatziki sauce
Ingredients:
In a medium sized bowl combine oregano, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic. Toss chicken in the marinade. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or cover with saran and refrigerate overnight. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers. Preheat a grill to high heat. Grill for 12 - 15 minutes or until juices run clear
Tzatziki:
Finely dice cucumber or pulse in a food processor until cucumber is finely chopped. Remove cucumber and drain through a mesh seive. If you are really in a bind (which I often am). I just strain cucumber using a paper towel. This is very important. Every time I have skipped this step, I end up with very watery tzatziki. Combine yogurt, drained cucumber, minced garlic, lemon, and dill in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- 1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano (1 1/2 tsp dried)
- Juice of one whole lemon
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 red onion cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 zucchini diced into 1/2 inch rounds
- Feta cheese for topping
- Metal or wooden skewers - I used 8 wooden skewers
In a medium sized bowl combine oregano, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic. Toss chicken in the marinade. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or cover with saran and refrigerate overnight. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers. Preheat a grill to high heat. Grill for 12 - 15 minutes or until juices run clear
Tzatziki:
- 2 cups greek yogurt
- 1 english cucumber diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced.
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- salt and pepper to taste
Finely dice cucumber or pulse in a food processor until cucumber is finely chopped. Remove cucumber and drain through a mesh seive. If you are really in a bind (which I often am). I just strain cucumber using a paper towel. This is very important. Every time I have skipped this step, I end up with very watery tzatziki. Combine yogurt, drained cucumber, minced garlic, lemon, and dill in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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