Easy Blackened Chicken

 Blackened Chicken Seasoning

Seasoning Ingredients:

2 Tbsp paprika

2 Tbsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp onion powder

2 tsp thyme

2 tsp basil

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Mix all seasoning ingredients together. Cover 3-4 chicken breasts generously on both sides with seasoning. Grill the chicken in oil in a pan or on a grill, on medium heat, turning after 6 min. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165. You can serve hot or it is also good cold. Serve in wraps with ranch or blue cheese dressing, lettuce, tomato, etc. These are great to make ahead and serve cold on a busy day. 

Cheeseburger of Champions

 This is my go-to burger recipe. It came from a Weber's Real Grilling cookbook I got decades ago.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 T Ketchup

1 t. dried basil

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. Tabasco sauce (I skip this now because of the kids)

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Mix everything together well in a bowl. Portion out the burgers into 1/4-1/3 pound portions and flatten. Grill over direct high heat 8-10 minutes, turning once. This will be about Medium, so longer if you prefer them more well-done. 

Grilled Chicken and Red Onion Quesadillas

This is an old favorite that I have dug back out lately. I love the versatility of it! Patrick and I eat the onions and chicken on a salad with lime vinegarette. The oldest three do chicken quesadillas and the younger two just do cheese quesadillas with the chicken on the side. Everyone wins!

Marinade:
2 large garlic cloves
1 jalepeno (I haven't had these on hand during the quarantine so I leave this out and it is still great!)
1 cup tightly packed cilantro
3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 T Sherry vinegar (I've used red wine vinegar)
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 Large red onion, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
Extra virgin olive oil
2 c. grated Monterrey jack or cheddar cheese
4 flour tortillas
Optional serving items: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc.

Process the garlic and jalepeno in a food processor. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and process until a paste. Add the paste to the chicken breasts to cover them (I put them in a large ziplock bag and shake it around until the chicken is coated. Refrigerate 3-4 hours.

Lightly brush the onion slices with oil and grill them. I've been using a cast iron skillet on my stove. You can also cook them in the oven at 450 until browned.

Grill chicken until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Assemble quesadillas with chicken, cheese and onions, then grill or cook on the stove top until cheese is melted.

Again, a delicious option is to skip the quesadilla and serve the chicken and onions over a salad. We've been using a homemade lime vinegarette dressing: 2T Extra virgin olive oil, 2 T lime juice, a little sugar to help it emulsify. I add these into a canning jar with a lid and just shake it up and serve.

California Grilled Veggie Sandwiches

These were delicious and very filling. We will probably be adding these to our menu more frequently.

*Since our grill wasn't ready for the season yet, I broiled the veggies for 10 min. then flipped them and broiled for another 10 min. Turned out great

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
4. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.

*This was originally posted on allrecipes.com