Farewell summer BBQ

I am seriously in the BEST mood today.  Why, you ask?  Yesterday, it was 90 degrees out and felt like summer when I went to bed and today, when I woke up....AUTUMN!  Today's high is 62 degrees and overcast.  Now, I LOVE summer, but there's something about the seasons changing that make me happy.  And autumn  is my a close second when it comes to my favorite seasons because, to me, autumn means two things....boots and yoga pants!  

Another thing I love about fall is the veggies....sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkins, root vegetables...love them all!  So look forward to seeing some recipes with those soon.  But, today I am going to share one last summer BBQ recipe.  I can't believe I haven't shared this chicken recipe yet because this one is amazing!!!  And it's very versatile, you can cook it for your beer-drinking, euchre-playing friends or you can make it for your wine-drinking, art-discussing friends too.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch slices, halved, and patted dry
• 4 chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds (chicken needs to be thin)
• 2 large tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1.  In a small bowl, combine the basil, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil until it is thoroughly incorporated. 

2.  Transfer 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette to a bowl and toss in the fresh mozzarella pieces, coating the cheese with the vinaigrette. Set aside. Reserve the remaining vinaigrette for the cooked chicken.

3.  Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken and tomatoes on a hot charcoal or gas grill until the chicken is browned and cooked through and the tomatoes are lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of your chicken and heat of the grill).

4.  Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter. Top with the tomato slices and drizzle with the reserved vinaigrette. Cover the chicken with an even layer of mozzarella and tent the platter loosely with foil. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Serve.

Mix your marinade.

Drizzle it on your mozzarella slices.  After I took this pretty picture, I gave it a good stir so that the cheese slices were coated all over.

Grill your tomatoes and chicken.  We used gorgeous yellow tomatoes from our garden.  We are awesome like that.

 Serve with the tomatoes and cheese layered on the chicken.  

This chicken is delish.  My tiny mini and I thought the tomatoes and cheese were better than the chicken. The boy minis and Mr. McGhee disagreed.  Must be a girl thing!

Summer BBQ

Mr. McGhee and I love to entertain.  Nothing makes us happier than being surrounded by family and friends in our home, with the swimming pool, swingset, and backyard full of activity.  To us, summers are backflip and cannonball contests off the diving board and dance parties around the siwmming pool.  And that's just the adults I'm talking about!  


And, of course, nothing makes me happier than having a backyard full of people that need to be fed.  

I always tell guests that want to bring something to bring snack food or dessert.  I'll take care of everything else.  This is my go-to BBQ meal....spicy honey chicken, grilled veggies, and fruit salad.  The fruit salad is easy.  Cut up some watermelon, berries, grapes, and any other fruit you like and toss it all in a bowl.  That's it!  The spicy honey chicken takes a bit more work.  

Spicy Honey Chicken

Chicken Rub

• 2 tsp granulated garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

Glaze

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar

1.  Mix all spices together.
2.  Drizzle oil on chicken (I use a mix of breasts and thighs) and rub the chicken rub onto the chicken (how's that for obvious?)
3.  Grill chicken until no longer pink in the middle.
4.  Warm honey and add vinegar.
5.  Pour honey/vinegar mixture on chicken.  Grill an additional minute.  

6.  Pour any leftover honey/vinegar mixture on chicken when serving.

Can I give you a tip?  Make a huge batch of the chicken rub and store it in a glass jar in your spice cabinet.  Make extras for all your friends to take home that night.  They'll be asking for it and call you to thank you every time they use it.  

I always serve this chicken with grilled veggies.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing my hungry guests chow down on vegetables.

Grilled Veggies

• assortment of veggies (get an assortment of your favorites...here's what I used)
• 3 summer squash, 3 red bell peppers, 3 zucchini, 1 eggplant, mushrooms, and a bunch of asparagus
• olive oil
• sea salt and pepper
• balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 cloves fresh crushed garlic
• fresh basil 
• fresh rosemary
• fresh italian parsley

1.  Slice the veggies lengthwise into about 1/4 inch slices.
2.  Brush each side of the veggies with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.
3.  Grill the veggies on each side until tender and slightly charred.  Don't move the veggies around on the grill too much, you want those black grill marks!
4.  Mix 4 tbsp olive oil with 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar.  Add garlic and fresh herbs.  I make this ahead of time and let it sit so the flavors can blend together.
5.  Once the veggies are grilled, put them on a platter and brush the oil/vinegar/herb mixture all over the veggies.

Here's the herb mixture.  As you can see, I use a lot of herbs.  They're the star of the show.

This is what I like to call Holy Grilled Goodness.  My prep + Mr. McGhee's cooking = Heaven in the mouth

The minis fight over this asparagus.  Let me repeat that.  The minis fight over this asparagus.

If you're a local reader, don't be surprised if the McGhees invite you over for a BBQ and serve you this meal.  If you aren't local, fire up your BBQ and make this meal.  Channel your inner McGhee.  You'll have a blast, I promise.