Grilled Marinated Chicken & Pineapple

This marinade is my Mom's for her Flank Steak, but she also uses it for this delicious meal. 

We've also added chunks of red or green peppers and it's delicious!

Marinade:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tbs. minced onion (I use 2 Tbs. dried)
3 shakes Lawry's seasoned salt

Chicken breasts or tenders

1-2 fresh pineapples, skinned and cut into spears

Mix marinade in a mixing bowl. Marinate chicken and pineapple (and peppers, if desired) in separate Ziplock bags and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Discard marinade and grill.

Marinated Grilled Chicken with Barley Corn Salad

We recently purchased a new grill and have been grilling up a storm. It's amazing the cooking possibilities it opens up. This, in my opinion, is the perfect summer dish: Fresh ingredients with lots of flavor; great dish for entertaining. I realize as I'm posting this that I should have posted it earlier. Hopefully it is still grilling weather wherever you are. If not, keep this on the back burner for next summer. 

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
3/4 cup medium barley
2 cups fresh or frozen-then-thawed corn kernels
1-1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup minced red onion
4 slices cooked thick or center cut bacon, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
salt & pepper to taste 

Tomato Vinaigrette: 
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon red onion
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1-Cook barley with a pinch of salt according to package directions. Drain when barley is tender to make sure all excess water is removed. Place into a large bowl to cool slightly.

2- Make the Tomato Vinaigrette: Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a food processor or blender, then process until smooth. Place 6 Tablespoons of the vinaigrette into a plastic bag and set the remaining aside. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt & pepper, then add it to the bag with the vinaigrette and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

3-Meanwhile stir corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and bacon into the cooled barley. Add enough of the reserved tomato vinaigrette to coat and stir well. Gently fold in avocado then season with salt & pepper to taste. Place into the refrigerator.

4-Heat a grill to high and grill chicken for 4-5 minutes a side, or until cooked through. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes off the grill, then divide salads onto plates and top with grilled chicken.

recipe from:  Iowa Girl Eats

Grilled Balsamic Glazed Chicken

This is our favorite recipe for grilled chicken.  I like it so much that I braved 95 degree heat with 70% humidity to grill this for dinner last week. We have been eating it pretty much once a week all summer. If you don't have a grill you could use a grill pan on your stove. Don't forget to serve a side of the warm balsamic sauce for dipping along side the chicken. So good! 

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1. In a sauce pan, combine balsamic vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Stir then simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by about 1/3.
2. Season chicken by lightly sprinkling it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Heat your grill or grill pan to medium heat and place the meat on the grill. Use a pastry brush to brush each piece of chicken with some of the balsamic bbq sauce.
4. The chicken will need to cook until it reaches 160 degrees which was about 8 minutes on each side. As the chicken is cooking, brush each side with sauce every few minutes.
5. Once the chicken is cooked through, allow to rest for a few minutes before serving. Be sure to serve the remaining warm balsamic bbq sauce for dipping.

Adapted from Giada De Laurentis