Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs

May has been such a great month.  I am actually sad to see it go.

My youngest daughter Amber turned 9.  We had a fabulous date just the two of us.  All you can eat crab legs.

Next, I had a wonderful girl’s weekend to Lake Kawaguchi near Mt. Fuji, with my Japanese culture club.  AMAZING!

Then, there was the solar eclipse.  I had to sear my corneas a bit, but I actually got some pretty good pictures. 

This past weekend, I went with Abbey and Allie to Tokyo Disneyland.  Twelve million people live in Tokyo and eleven million were at Disney.  Can’t say it was a blast, but I enjoyed the time I got to spend with my girlies.

The very best thing that happened in May though…..I got a new grill for Mother’s Day!  I love it!  I am the Grill Master!  It is nice and big and it even has a bun warmer and one of those little side burners on it.  Jealous much?

I am looking forward to a summer full of grilltastik yumminess.  This is what I made last night.

Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs

For the Teriyaki sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup water

¼ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons of white vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh ginger (I use the ginger in the jar)

4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped

For the kebabs:

2 to 3 pounds chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs

Onions, green, and red peppers (or whatever you like to put on kebabs)

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

Directions:

First make the teriyaki sauce. Put the first 7 ingredients into a small saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes to allow flavors to mingle.

Next, cut the meat into kebab size pieces and marinate (covered) for 3 hours in the teriyaki sauce.

After the chicken is marinated, put 6 or 7 pieces of chicken on each skewer, separating each chunk with a piece of onion, pepper, pineapple, etc.

Arrange the skewers on a plate.  Pour half of the remaining Teriyaki sauce over the chicken and grind black pepper over the kebabs. Drizzle with olive oil.

Put the kebabs on a grill with a low flame. (Oil the grate so the chicken won’t stick.) Grill for about 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until chicken is completely done and browned slightly.  Serve these tender yummy kebabs with rice.

Makes 6 to 8 large kebabs.  Recipe adapted from www.woodfiredkitchen.com .

Spicy Honey Grilled Chicken

What can I say?  It’s summer and my wonderful husband has made a zen oasis out of our backyard.   Daily, I am being called out to our back porch to relax, have a beer, and grill.

Okay, that’s not really our backyard.  It’s a picture I took in Kyoto, Japan of the Shogun's backyard.  But our backyard is practically as nice…..after a beer or two….and I love it. 

I have also fallen in love with boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (the ones in the giant plastic bag in the freezer section).  I’ve always been a little snobby about my chicken.  I usually only buy breasts, and only use the fresh ones.  But, when our grocery stopped getting shipments of fresh chicken for awhile, I was forced to buy the bulk frozen chicken. 

The recipe mentions that you can use breasts but PROMISES that it will be better with the thighs.  I caved and bought some dumb thighs. To my surprise, the thighs were much juicier and tender than the breasts.   

Yay for thighs!  You beat out breasts any day!

Spicy Honey Grilled Chicken

(Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites….those girls rock!!!)

 

Ingredients:

·        2 tsp garlic powder

·        2 tsp chili powder

·        ½ tsp onion powder

·        ½ tsp coriander

·        1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt

·        1 tsp cumin*

·        8 boneless/skinless chicken thighs

·        2 tsps oil (I used olive)

·        ½ cup honey

·        1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

Put all the spices in small bowl and mix together.  Next, pat the thighs dry and plop them into a big bowl.  Slather them with the oil.  Yes, I said, “oil your thighs”.  (Imagine if I would have told you to oil your breasts!)  Now toss the spices into the chicken thighs until they are coated well.  It helps if you use your hand for this.

Put the thighs on the grill for about 3-5 minutes on each side.  Warm the honey a little bit in the microwave and add the vinegar.  

Before taking the thighs off the grill, marinate each side and grill for about 1 minute longer.  Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the marinade and drizzle it over the chicken after you have taken it off the grill.

Mmmmmmmmmm.   It is some good grilling.  Guaranteed to change even a breast man into a thigh man..wink wink.

*Note:  This recipe is spicy, but not too spicy, but maybe too spicy for the kiddos. (Mine thought so.)  If you need to take away some spice but keep most of the flavor, simply eliminate the cumin.

I am sharing this recipe with:
This Chick Cooks

Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

There are very few meals in my family that I can make that ALL FIVE people will eat.

Maybe we are weird.

I think we get it from my mom’s side of the family.

Anyway, last night I made a meal that EVERYONE loved.  Amber, who says she is a vegetarian, ate it up.  Abbey gave up her teriyaki sauce boycott for it.  Allie, decided to forgo Chip Chick for her birthday dinner, and have this instead.  Brian, was so satiated by it, he took an hour long nap after we had dinner.

Oh wait, he always does that. But still........these are AMAZING!!!! (Like most things  that are wrapped in bacon.)

Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

(Recipe adapted from www.ourbestbites.com)

 

Ingredients:

·        1 lb boneless/skinless chicken (I used breasts)

·        1 package bacon (not the thick kind)

·        1 large can pineapple chunks

·        Teriyaki sauce/glaze

·        Kebab skewers or toothpicks

1 - The easiest way to put these together is to set up a little Kebab making station.  On one plate cut the bacon into thirds.  On another plate, put the chicken cubed up into bit-sized pieces. Finally, drain the pineapple and put it into a bowl.

2 – Wrap one third slice of bacon around a chunk of chicken and secure the bacon with a skewer.  Next, add a slice of pineapple.  If you are using toothpicks, you are done.  If you have kebab skewers, repeat until the skewer is full of bacon wrapped chicken and pineapple goodness.  Lay each skewer on a rimmed cookie sheet or baking dish.

3 – After all the chicken chunks have been wrapped like little babies in bacon and skewered, brush with teriyaki sauce.  Turn over, and repeat.  Go ahead and get them extra goopy with sauce.

4 – Place the pan in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.  (I only did two hours because I was too excited to get them on the grill.  Longer, can only make them better I’m sure!)

5 – Grill each skewer on low heat for about 10 minutes on each side.  (Check them after 7 minutes, just to make sure they aren’t burning.)

Baste with extra teriyaki sauce each time you turn them, plus one final baste right before you take them off the grill.  (I actually turned them over for about 2 minutes just to cook on that final baste.)

At about this time your neighbors will be peeking over the fence and smelling the deliciousness of your grilling/basting magic. 

You better double the recipe, because they are going to want some.

I promise…..there won’t be any leftovers.