My Favorite Season of the Year

Grilling Season!!!! I really enjoy when the weather becomes acceptable for PE to fire up the grill. As soon as the snow has melted and there are a couple hours of no precipitation or wind in the evening, we are looking for things to grill. Bratwursts, hamburgers, ribs, chops, chicken breasts . . . are you drooling yet? Last year we purchased a charcoal grill and if you don't have one you really should get one. Everything tastes SO much better!

The other night we had grilled marinated chicken, grilled yellow squash (drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with season salt), and Fluffy Couscous. I made the marinade several days before and threw in frozen chicken breasts. As the chicken breasts thaw they marinate (sort of killing two birds with one stone. . . sort of). The chicken was wonderful. It had a tang to it and it paired perfectly with the couscous.

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Chicken Marinade
adapted from AllRecipes
Print Recipe

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp canola oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 Tbsp dried parsley

In a medium bowl, mix together oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir in mustard powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Use to marinate chicken before cooking as desired. The longer you marinate, the more flavor it will have.

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Fluffy Couscous
from My Kitchen Cafe
Print Recipe

4 Tbsp butter
2 cups couscous
1 small onion, minced
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups water
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring often, until some of the grains are just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl. Melt the remaining two tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and broth and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling liquid over the toasted couscous and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let it sit until the couscous is tender, about 12 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and fluff the couscous with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

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