Baby It's Cold Outside... So Let's Grill: Lemon Grilled Chicken and Foil Packet Potatoes

The warm weather we have had here in central Indiana has been just too much of a tease lately. Every year without fail as soon as we have a few spring-like days I am telling the hubby it is time to fire up the grill. So last weekend when I was picking up my groceries and it was 70 outside, I didn't hesitate to throw a bag of lemons in my grocery cart to use in my favorite grill marinade. But now that we are getting around to doing the grilling it's closer to 30 outside; I guess that's life. I don't know the source on the recipe for the chicken. I found the recipe on a blog a few years ago, so if you recognize it please let me know. I grew up eating the Foil Packet Potatoes and there really is not an exact recipe I follow; it's all eyeballing. The Lemon Grilled Chicken always delivers super juicy, tender and flavorful chicken; you have to give this one a try! As for the Foil Packet Potatoes, they're just classic and I cannot think of one person who has tried them and not liked them. Happy grilling!

Lemon Grilled Chicken

• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• Any cut of chicken, up to 8 pieces

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a blender and blend until emulsified.

To prepare chicken: Put chicken pieces in a large Ziploc bag. Add marinade and turn chicken once or twice to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 8 hours. Bring chicken to room temperature 30 minutes before grilling and discard marinade.

Grill and enjoy!

Foil Packet Potatoes

• potatoes, very thinly sliced
  
• onion, sliced thin and divided into rings
• butter
• garlic powder

Layer thinly sliced potatoes, onion, and butter in a large sheet of aluminum foil. (For the hubby and I usually do about 4 potatoes, 1 onion, and about 1/2 stick of butter. If ya'll have learned anything from Paula Deen, it's that everything's better with butter!) Season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Close up foil packet.

Grill for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

The Hub's Favorite Meal: Spaghetti and Meatballs with Pomodoro Sauce and Cheesey Garlic Bread on the Side

I've said it before, but I will say it again: my hubby is a very picky eater! One thing he loves is Italian food, in any and every form. His hands-down favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs. I found my recipe for spaghetti and meatballs one day when I was flipping through the television and happened to catch Tyler Florence making his Ultimate Spaghetti and Meatballs. I found the recipe online, modified it a bit to suit our tastes, and the rest is history. So for my hardworking hubby, here's his favorite meal: Spaghetti and Meatballs with Pomodoro Sauce and Cheesy Garlic Bread on the side.

Spaghetti and Meatballs with Pomodoro Sauce

Adapted from: Tyler Florence

Spaghetti and Meatballs:

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 cup milk
• 4 slices bread
• 1 pound ground turkey or beef
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• spaghetti

Pomodoro Sauce:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  
• 3-28 ounce cans whole tomatoes or 3 quarts tomatoes, liquid reserved
  
• 1 tablespoon dried basil

For the Spaghetti and Meatballs:
In a large bowl, pour enough milk over your bread to moisten, and set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Cook until vegetables are soft; about 10 minutes (careful not to let them burn). Remove pan from heat and let cool.

For the Pomodoro Sauce:
While the onion and garlic are cooking for the meatballs, heat 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and 5 cloves of minced garlic; cook for about 5 minutes. Hand crush your tomatoes as you carefully add them to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and allow the sauce to come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

For the Spaghetti and Meatballs:
While your onions and garlic are cooling, grab a large mixing bowl and add: ground turkey or beef, egg, parmesan cheese, and dried parsley (do not mix together yet). Grab your bread and gently squeeze the excess milk out of it, and then tear up and add to meat mixture. Add your cooled onions and garlic (hold onto your pan, you'll need it to cook your meatballs in), and gently combine all ingredients with your hands (be careful not to overwork). Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape into meatballs.

Heat approximately 3 tablespoons of olive oil in your skillet, and brown your meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes (don't be concerned if your meatballs are not completely cooked through; they'll finish cooking in the oven).

While your meatballs are cooking do the following: preheat the oven to 350, add dried basil and parsley to pomodoro sauce, and put a large pot of water on to boil for your spaghetti.

Place your meatballs in a glass baking dish, and spoon about half of your pomodoro sauce over them. Shower with a generous handful of mozzarella cheese. Place in preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

While your meatballs are cooking, reduce the heat on the remaining pomodoro sauce, and cook the spaghetti in boiling water until tender. This recipe could probably accommodate up to 1 pound of spaghetti, but cook the amount that you will need to feed your family in one meal. Drain spaghetti and set aside.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Adapted from: Cooks Country Cookbook

• 5 large garlic cloves, grated
• 8 tablespoons room-temperature butter (1 stick)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon water
• 1 loaf French Bread, sliced in half horizontally
• 1-8 oz bag shredded Italian cheese blend
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400. Cook 1 tablespoon butter, water, and garlic in a small nonstick skillet over low heat, until straw-colored, 7 to 10 minutes.

Mix cooked garlic with remaining butter and spread on cut sides of bread. Sandwich bread back together and wrap loaf in aluminum foil. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Unwrap bread and place buttered side up on baking sheet. Return to oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set oven to broil.

Combine Italian seasoning with cheese, and sprinkle over bread. Broil until cheese is melted and crisp, 1-2 minutes (watch very carefully!).

Serve immediately and enjoy!

By Request: Cornbread Muffins

About a month ago I made some delicious cornbread muffins. They were light, sweet, and very tender. My hubby is not big on leftovers, so I took the extras to work. One of my coworkers took them home, and her four-year-old fell in love with cornbread muffins. So these muffins are for Ben!

Cornbread Muffins

Source: From Williamsburg Kitchens

• 1 egg, well-beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour or buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons melted shortening
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup corn meal

Preheat oven to 400. Grease and flour a muffin tin.

Beat egg, add sugar, and mix until combined. Meanwhile, mix milk and baking soda in a glass measuring cup. Add milk to egg mixture, and combine. Beat in the dry ingredients, and then add the melted shortening.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Serve warm with butter and enjoy!