gluten free main dish

Balsamic Vinegar & Honey Chicken Skewers

My car needed new front brakes so I took it to the mechanic today, and brought my bike to ride the 6 miles home. The guy at the front desk asked if I needed a ride, I said ‘no, I’m going to ride my bike’ – he replied with, ‘next time you can use one of ours!’. How very cool (and very Boulder) that my mechanic has several bikes that their customers can use!!

Onto this recipe. As I’ve been saying in post after post, it’s summer so I have been grilling & using summer fruits and veggies – this recipe is no exception. The balsamic vinegar & honey added a nice light touch of flavor to the chicken, and the quinoa & strawberry, goat cheese and nut salad were both a perfect compliment.

serves 4

time: about 1 hour (marinade the night before)

Chicken Marinade Ingredients:

2.5 good sized boneless & skinless chicken breasts

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced, plus more for garnish

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad Ingredients:

strawberries

spinach

goat cheese

mixed seasoned/sugared nuts

I also used a cup of dried quinoa, cook according to package directions.

Directions:

The night before. Cut off any extra fat from the chicken breasts and then cut into 1 inch chunks and place in a gallon ziplock bag.
Mix all of the remaining ingredients together and pour into the gallon bag with the chicken. Mush around and refrigerate overnight.
The day of. Soak 3-4 wooden skewers in a shallow dish filled with water while getting the grill, quinoa and salad ready.
Right before the grill is ready, thread the chicken pieces onto the water-soaked wooden skewers.
Place the chicken skewers on the grill and cook until no longer pink, turning over so all sides get charred.
Wash and slice a good few handfuls of ripe strawberries, place on top of washed spinach. Crumble goat cheese and throw a handful of mixed seasoned/sugared nuts on top
Eat with your favorite beer, because it’ll make it that much better!

Cilantro Ginger Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower “Rice”

Chicken can be boring, unless you get creative with the marinade, and this is one recipe that makes chicken pretty good! As always it’s best to let the chicken sit in the marinade for a few hours and overnight if you can – that way the flavors of the marinade get soaked up. My friend made me cauliflower “fried rice” at her house and I thought it would be good with this chicken and a side salad, it was! If you are following the Paleo diet you can eat this “rice”.

Serves: 4

Chicken Marinade

chicken thighs, about 2 a piece
1 bunch green onions, cut into thirds
2 garlic cloves
1″ piece of fresh ginger, cut into fourths
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper to taste

1) Mix all of the marinade ingredients together and place in a gallon ziplock bag with the chicken thighs. Mush the marinade around the chicken so that it is coated well. Refrigerate for at least a few hours, and overnight if you can.

2. Heat up your BBQ coals, once they are ready pull out the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill. Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink inside. While the chicken is cooking make the cauliflower “fried rice” (recipe below) and a salad.

Cauliflower “Fried Rice”

1 large head cauliflower
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
salt & pepper
coconut oil

1) Cut up the cauliflower into bite sized pieces, place in a microwave safe dish, add a tad bit of water and cover. Microwave until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.

2) Once the cauliflower is tender mash with a potato masher (you want the pieces to resemble rice, so don’t go overboard with mashing), then place in a colander to drain excess water.

3) Heat up your skillet and add a scoop of coconut oil, add the cauliflower “rice”, crushed garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the cauliflower has browned all over.

Balsamic Vinegar & Honey Chicken Skewers

Cilantro Ginger Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower “Rice”

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