Grilled Caprese Chicken

I love summer for so many reasons.  But a big part of summer that I love is grilling out.  The best thing about this meal is that it is not only super easy, but also super delcious!  It's a perfect meal to whip up on a hot day when you don't want to cook inside. 

I have to give credit to my friend Gina for telling me about this recipe she made and how good it was...which inspired me to make my own version of it below. :)

Grilled Caprese Chicken 

Ingredients: 

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breast

Marinade/Dressing

½ cup olive oil

2 TBS chopped sun dried tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. paprika

1 TBS chopped fresh basil

Salt & pepper

Caprese Topping

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Balsamic vinegar for topping (if desired) 

Directions: 

Place a large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; heat grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, place chicken in a Ziploc bag. Add 1/4 cup marinade and seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes, or up to an entire day. Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.

Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill for about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.

Turn the chicken over and place cooked-side up, on foil on the grill. Top with caprese topping mixture. Close lid. Grill 8 minutes or until chicken is done.

Drizzle small amount of balsamic vinegar over chicken (if desired) and serve.  I served this with a side of grilled red potatoes covered in cucumber sauce (a famous family recipe!). 

Recipe adapted from the girl who ate everything

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Fiesta Rice

 We have been on a grilling kick!  One of the favorite things to do in summer is to grill out.  For one thing...grilled food tastes amazing.  For another thing, it limits the amount of time and heat used by the stove top...and consequently limits the amount of pans I have to wash :) (or rather - my husband washes).  All in all...grilling is just a fantastic concept, and I can't wait to do more and more of it this summer!  

 Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (2 lb. total)
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

• Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness (about 1/2 in.) and place in a shallow baking pan or plastic bag.
• In a small bowl, mix lime juice, cilantro, garlic, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken and turn pieces to coat evenly. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.
• Lay chicken on a grill over medium heat (you can hold your hand over the surface only 4 to 5 seconds) and cook, turning once, until no longer pink in the center, 4 to 6 minutes per side.

Fiesta Rice
This is just my own concoction - so feel free to adjust to your liking! 


Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup rice
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes 
1 clove crushed garlic
2-3 TBS chopped sliced jalapenos  (from a jar)
1/4 cup black beans
salt to taste

Directions: Boil water and cook rice.  When rice is almost fully cooked, add tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, black beans, and salt.  Cook until heated through.

Source: Chicken recipe from myrecipes.com