Wednesday, June 3, 2009

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.

9 comments:

southerninspiration said...

Such cute photos!!! and I love the bee on her booty!
thanks for the recipes...we'll have to try those at the Casa de Inspiration! :)

Suzanne

Beth in Texas said...

I thought you abhorred cilantro. Am I mistaken or are you being a traitor? ;-)

Renee @ AddMoreChocolate said...

Beth, I LOVE cilantro! I used to think it tasted like soap, but then my tastes changed I suppose. Next time you go to the Taste of Texas, have their Grilled Tenderloin Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette. Divine!

Cindy Marsch said...

What Suzanne said! :-)

Teacherperson said...

I love the bumblebee bum! We had a chicken bum suit one time for my boys for Easter.

Yes, I'd much rather see your adorable grandbaby than a pile of rice and meat. (Er, noodle things)

Katie Krebs said...

Little BumbleBootie! She's wearing that today too, but with princess ballerina socks.

Cindy Marsch said...

Unfortunately, your blog has now joined Femina and Katie's blogs as blogs that won't display on my Google Reader anymore! I have gotten Femina to come back briefly, but Katie's won't. Really irritating!

Anonymous said...

Steve looks very natural holding a baby and Each of his babies had him wrapped around their finger. Love, Mom

Anita@Theycallmejammi said...

She is so beautiful...I know you are bursting with pride. I love the bumble bee peeking out. Aren't Grandbabes the best!!