Marinated Grilled Greek Chicken Skewers: Delicious Healthy & Flavorful Recipes for the Barbecue

Marinated & Grilled Greek Chicken Skewers

w/ Grilled Eggplant & Quinoa Roll-ups

Ingredients:

• Wooden bamboo skewers - or metal
• 12-16 chicken tenders or 4 breasts cut into strips
• 1 Cup plain greek yogurt - or plain yogurt
• 1/2 Cup crumbled feta cheese
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• thyme sprigs
• pinch of salt

1. Mix up all of the ingredients from the yogurt through the salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Place chicken strips in a ziploc bag or a shallow dish and cover with the marinade mixture. Then seal bag or cover dish with clear saran wrap to remove all air, keeping chicken covered in marinade. Place in fridge to marinate for 3 hours. 
2. 
   This is a good time to start soaking your wooden skewers in water to avoid them catching on fire when it is time to grill. (If making the Grilled Eggplant & Quinoa Roll-ups - now would be a great time to get started on them)
3. Once the marination period is completed it is time to skewer the chicken and fire up the grill. Weave the chicken lengthwise on the skewer like a ribbon. Make sure to oil the grill as the chicken will stick if the grates aren't seasoned. The chicken only takes about 4-5 minutes on each side, depending on how hot your grill is. I would suggest trying to cook these at a very low temperature to avoid them drying out. 
4. Once they are all cooked up they need to be served immediately as they will cool rather quickly. These don't need any added sauces as they are full to the brim with flavor. 

These are also great left over to go with a nice salad for lunch the next day! DELISH!!!

-Simply Sublime

Grilled Eggplant & Quinoa Roll Up Recipe: Gluten Free Barbecue Side Dish Idea

Our family LOVES a good meal off the "Q" - that's what I call anything barbecued {grilled or smoked}. My family thinks I am off my rocker every time I say "Q", which somehow drives me to say it like a broken record.  "Love me some Q",  "Hurry up and heat up the Q".

We love to Q SO Much that you might even find us standing outside by the grill with crisp white snowflakes falling. Yep, Fall, Winter, Spring & Summer we will still be cooking it up on the Q. {You are beginning to see why my family goes bonkos over my Q'isms aren't cha?}

It's easy to find recipes for barbecued main dishes - but I have been on the hunt to widen my recipe box of Q'd healthy side dishes. So, here is the latest concoction: Grilled Eggplant & Quinoa Roll-ups.

Grilled Eggplant & Quinoa Roll-ups

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Eggplants
• 6 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp of ground cumin
• 1 pinch of salt

Quinoa and Feta Filling

• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 dash of vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic - chopped or pressed
• 1/4 tsp of ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp of chili powder
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta

Cold Raw Crispy add-ins

• 1 red beetroot, coarsely grated
• 2 carrots, coarsely grated
• 1 red pepper, cut small
• 1/4 bunch of fresh cilantro

Directions:

1)Prepare Quinoa and Feta Filling by cooking 1 cup of quinoa as per package directions. While quinoa is simmering begin sauteing the chopped onion in the dash of oil. After onions are sweetly fragrant and soft add garlic, salt, turnmeric, chili powder and garam masala and cook another 2 minutes while stirring. Add salt to taste.  Remove from heat, cover and set aside.

2)Wash and prepare the Cold Raw Crispies - rinse and chop cilantro. Grate carrots and beet. Rinse and dice red bell pepper. Set aside.

   

3)Combine olive oil, ground cumin and salt in a small bowl. Trim stems from eggplants and slice into 1/4" slices lengthwise. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with oil combination and grill on barbecue for a couple minutes on both side until it begins to soften but prior to getting crisp.

4)Assembly time - one by one take a slice of grilled eggplant and sprinkle with feta, fill with a layer of quinoa mixture and sprinkle the cold crispies on top...then roll up. YUM!!!

Serve immediately.

 Goes great with my Greek Grilled Chicken Skewers. 

-Simply Sublime

BEST & EASIEST Paleo Barbeque Side Dish: Grilled Veggie Kabobs

Since completing our June challenge of 7:Food month with some success, and great learning experiences, we have been trying to keep a clean & simple meal plan. We are trying hard to keep some forever change after our month of deliberate simplicity surrounding our food choices. 

Well, it is sunny out here in the Pacific Northwest, which is rare for June. With the sun comes get-togethers, barbeques, gatherings, festivities...ALL SURROUNDING FOOD! 

This particular weekend we had a family barbeque where burgers and big 'ole dogs would be fired up on the grill. Yummers and at the same time yuckers as the sides are so often the stick to your gut type of filler food. Since we were asked to bring dishes to share we decided on two: 1) grilled veggie & fruit kabobs & 2) my daughter Madison made this incredible triple layer chocolate dessert made with avocado, dates and more hidden deliciousness. (link will be provided when she gets it posted)

 The Kabobs were my work-my-fingers-to-the-bones contribution - haha. Hey, she loves to bake paleo desserts and I am SUPER-dee-duper, crazy, busy fundraising for our upcoming Africa trip. Don't be a judger!

I painstakingly chopped up the mushrooms, onions, zucchini, green bell pepper, red bell pepper. I also took the possibly-chop-a-finger challenge of slicing discs of corn on the cob. Oh, yes I did! And - wait for it.... I perfectly sliced each single piece of the pineapple for the sweet, tart addition that these veggie creations needed to create the perfect balance on each precisely and artistically placed skewer! Gotta love it, am I right?

Aren't they B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L???

and they were SO yummy.

I would have some lovely photos of the finished, oh-so-perfectly-grilled, product from our PART-AYYYY - BUT...

we had a wee lil bit of a crank-fest happening due to over-crowding on the host homes grill. Oops! 

For those planning to bring this as a gift-offering to a potluck barbeque... do yourself a favor and give advance warning to the Bar-B Chef, that is if you want to remain on the guest list for the next party.

These really were simple & delish. A MUST try! 

***If using wooden skewers make sure and soak them for a good hour before skewering. 

-Simply Sublime