Grilled Indian Butter Chicken

 

chix18-710Father’s Day Celebrations and the Summer Season are all about grilling and this week we turned to Katie from the Parsley Thief Blog for this amazing find. She knew we would love this Indian spice-infused grilled chicken. It may be a bit time consuming, as it needs to marinate a long time but its so worth it. You can prepare it when you have time & have it ready to grill on a busy weeknight.

Grilled Indian Butter Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (peeled)

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 small fresh, green Thai or jalepeno chile, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 {3 pound} chicken, quartered, backbone & skin removed

1 stick unsalted butter

Directions

Marinate Chicken: Add the onion, garlic, ginger, salt, chile & vinegar to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl & whisk in the yogurt, coriander, oil, turmeric & cayenne pepper. Add the chicken pieces & toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, or transfer to a resealable container & marinate for at least 16 hours {or up to 3 days}. Let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.

To Make the Ghee:

Bring the butter to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat to very low & cook the butter until a very thin crust begins to form on the surface & milky white solids fall to the bottom of the pan {about 8 minutes}. Continue to cook the butter, watching to avoid burning, until the solids at the bottom turn light brown & the butter has a nutty fragrance {about 6-8 minutes more}. Remove the pan from the heat & let it stand for 1 minute. Pour through a double layer of moistened heavy duty paper towels into a bowl, or measuring cup. Discard the solids.

To Grill the Chicken:

Heat a gas, or charcoal grill & lightly oil the grill racks. Put the chicken, still heavily coated in marinade, on the rack, over indirect heat (as much as possible). Drizzle the chicken with about a tablespoon of the ghee. Cook over medium high heat, turning over & drizzling with ghee every 5 minutes, covering the grill between turns, until the chicken is cooked through {about 30-45 minutes}.

Click here for the printable recipe. 

Adapted from Gourmet magazine, May 2006

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Spicy Grilled Chicken Salad

P1010702This week we feature a recipe from Katie the Parsley Thief that would normally be reserved for the heart of grilling season, but with the weather still summery why stop grilling now?  From the Parsley Thief: I have posted so many chicken recipes, and nothing else. I promise you, we eat other foods. Although, we do eat a lot of chicken….as I am on the perpetual uphill journey of watching the waist line. But, it just so happens, I have the time to post when we are having chicken for dinner. Next time….beef. This salad is a variation on a recipe I found this month in Sunset magazine.
Spicy Grilled Chicken Salad
Adapted from Sunset magazine
Makes 4 main course salads
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 cups mixed greens
2 medium carrots, peeled & sliced into matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon harissa

Pound the chicken breast thin between pieces of plastic wrap. Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt & pepper together in a small mixing bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken & toss to coat. Cover & chill for 3 hours, or overnight.
Prepare a grill. Cook the chicken for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board & cover with foil to rest.
While the chicken is cooking, whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
When ready to serve, slice the chicken into strips. In a large serving bowl, combine the mixed greens, carrots, bell pepper, olives, red onion & sliced chicken. Toss with the dressing & serve.
A full photo tour, as demonstrated by Katie’s son Miles:
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Click here for the printable recipe.

Grilled Chicken, Bell Pepper, Zucchini & Squash Kebabs

Grilled-Chicken-with-Vegetables-KebabsJeanette Chen, a resident of New Canaan for 20 years, is the busy mom of 4 boys and author of a popular health and wellness food blog, Jeanette’s Healthy Living. She was recently nominated for Best Health Blog by Healthline and is always looking for ways to make healthier meals for her family and friends. This week Jeanette shares a lunch hit with her boys. With the summer coming, this fresh and quick dish is a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

  • bamboo skewers

Chicken

  • 3 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 sprigs rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried oregano, rosemary, thyme or a mixture
  • salt and freshly ground pepper

Vegetables

  • Assorted bell peppers (I used red, yellow, orange)
  • Zucchini
  • Summer Squash

Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri Sauce is good on just about anything – chicken, fish, or grilled vegetables. My kids will eat just about anything with this sauce. Mix all ingredients together.
Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons minced parsley
  • 4 tablespoons minced onion
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • a dash or two of ground cumin salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Place chicken in a large bowl. Add lemon, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Let marinate at least one hour and up to overnight.
  2. Cut peppers into 1″ pieces. Cut zucchini and summer squash into 1/2″ thick pieces that are about 1″ inch wide (I cut semi-circles for the larger pieces).
  3. Soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes before grilling.
  4. Skewer chicken and vegetables, alternating chicken and vegetables.
  5. Grill until done.
  6. Serve with Chimichurri Sauce, if desired.