Make-Ahead Summer Supper

I know these aren't pictures of my grilled chicken skewers or the orzo salad, but what would YOU rather see? :-)
This is Emmie at 3 weeks in her new outfit and also making one of her cute faces.

Now, on to the recipes. I am always on the lookout for recipes that are easy to make ahead of time, flavorful, and family friendly. I adapted these 2 and this is what I came up with. The original called for curry powder, which I can't stand, and raw white onions, which my husband can't stand. Read to the end and find out how to customize this for a whole different flavor profile.


Grilled Chicken Skewers

Marinade:
8 oz yogurt
1 T. Tony's Creole Seasoning (It's spicy and it's red. Who needs curry?)
1 T. minced ginger
1 t. minced garlic
1 T. cooking sherry
salt and pepper

3 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts. Cut in strips, place in a zip-loc bag with the marinade and refrigerate for several hours. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before threading chicken on and grilling. (If you have stainless kebab skewers, this can be done even faster!)

Orzo Salad
8 oz. tri-colored orzo pasta, uncooked. (Plain is fine, but this is prettier)
1/2 c. chopped cucumber
1/2 c. feta cheese
1/2 c. chopped greek olives
4 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper
1/4 c. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
juice from half a lemon
1/3 c. olive oil

Cook the pasta, rinse and drain. Mix with olives, onion, cucumber, parsley, and cheese. Blend lemon juice and olive oil and toss. Refrigerate until serving time.

Ready to change things up a bit?
Southwestern Grilled Chicken and Salad-
For the chicken, substitute 2 t. chili powder and 1 t. cumin for the ginger. Substitute 2 T. lime juice for the sherry.
For the salad, substitute avocado for the cucumbers, queso fresco for the feta (a mild, crumbly Mexican cheese), and cilantro for the parsley.