Tuesday, July 5, 2011

ukulele songs, rainbows, and grilled chicken

i was in a euphoric state this weekend as the sun warmed grand marais like never before. the rocks on the beach were warm, and with our sun-kissed skin, we looked alive! then we jumped into lake superior and almost ruined our sun buzz. thankfully though, the sun stuck around, and warmed us back up. it was wonderful. i was thinking that the world was all rainbows and teddy bears. we finished our day listening to eddie vedder and his new 'ukulele songs'cd as we lounged about outside next to a grill. there is something about the combination of ukuleles and sunshine that seem to make grilled chicken taste better. it could have been the marinade as well....

i made a simple marinade with lemon and chilies that was wonderful with the chicken thighs we had, although i think it would go well with all parts of the chicken. maybe even veggies too. here's the recipe for simple lemon marinade;

juice and zest of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping teaspoon of *sambel oelek- use more or less depending on preference
1 sprig of rosemary, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil

*sambal oelek is a fresh ground chili paste that is available at the co-op and most specialty food stores

whisk together all of the ingredients. i placed 6 chicken thighs in a ziplock bag with the marinade and allowed it about 2 hours to marinate. you could leave it overnight, and the flavors would be even more intensly infused.

grill your marinated chicken for those char-grilled, crispy edges and a wonderfully moist and tender interior. i didn't take long, maybe about 15 minutes for the thighs. just enough time to steam some broccoli or throw together a salad. you'll be serenading your marinaded chicken with eddie and his ukulele in no time!! belly up!

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