Eating: Grilled Chicken and Veggies

I love grilled food.  That smokey char just can't be beat.  Growing up in Southern California, we had a gas grill right outside the kitchen and grilling was a way of life even in the winter.  Up in the bay we stick to the summer for our grilling adventures, and I have been converted to charcoal.  This weekend was the first time we felt it was really warm enough to be declared grilling weather, so we cooked up a simple dinner to celebrate.



The Best Grilled Chicken

This grilled chicken recipe was the very first marinade I ever learned.  I literally been making this chicken for as long as I have been allowed to cook.  My family friend Susie taught me this recipe, and it is surprisingly good for how simple it is.  It is important to note that I start my chicken in the oven.  Grill purists may call this cheating, but I call it efficient.  Chicken can take a long time on the grill and can burn over high heat.  I like to start out by grilling my veggies while the chicken gets started in the oven to sane time and give the coals time to die down a little.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup worchesterchire sauce
1/4 cup water
3 large clove garlic, pressed
Creole seasoning, enough to sprinkle all over
Chicken

1.  Combine soy sauce, worchestershire sauce, water and garlic in a glass baking dish.  Add chicken and turn to coat, I used a big fryer back with two large split bone-in breasts, two legs, and three thighs, I also made an extra batch for some wings.  Sprinkle the top with creole seasoning.  Let sit at least half and hour.
2.  Turn chicken, sprinkling again with creole seasoning.  Let sit another half hour.
3.  Preheat oven to 375.
4.  Put baking dish in the oven to start the chicken.  I leave mine in until the grill is free, but be sure to take it out before the chicken is cooked through, this depends on the size of your cuts.
5.  Transfer chicken to the grill.  Place away from direct heat until the last five minutes to keep from burning.  Move directly over the coals for the last few minutes to get a nice crisp skin.

The Simplest Grilled Veggies

While the chicken was in the oven we used our grill pan to make some tasty veggies.  We love grilled veggies and make huge batches to throw in salads, pastas, and frittatas throughout the week.  These couldn't be easier (it seems silly to even write this down) and they were a great way to round out the meal.

Ingredients

2 bell peppers, cored and chopped to 1" pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 lb cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

1.  Toss everything together with enough olive oil to lightly coat, salt and pepper to taste.
2.  Grill in a grill pan until as charred as you like it, stirring occasionally.
 

Now we're ready to eat!