What a Grill Wants

One of the best things about summer is the built in excuse for getting out of making dinner. "It's too hot to cook!" I whimper plaintively, with the lower lip quivering ever so slightly. My husband, good guy extraordinaire and winner of the Sweet Husband award, 27 years running, will quickly recognize his cue and say, "Sure, honey, I'd love to grill something."

When I gave him grilling planks, a barbecue cookbook and a barbecue magazine for his birthday, he knew it wasn't just selfless love motivating the gifts. I was hoping to see a lot of nights off when I could kick back on the chaise lounge by the pool, sipping a margarita, while he slaved away over his stainless steel baby, smoking up the back yard with the sweet perfume of charred meat.

Well, we haven't yet inflated the wading pool, the chaise lounge is still in the shed, and if any margaritas are to happen, I'll be in charge of the blender, but we have had some awesome barbecue.

When I went on the Seattle Food Tour, one of my fellow bloggers that I met was Don of Sortachef. He built a wood-fired oven in his backyard and his site is filled with mouthwatering pictures of the amazing food he produces both in his kitchen and his back yard. One of the recipes that grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go was for teriyaki chicken kabobs. We've made them twice. Sooooo good. The husband and kids even fight over who gets the leftovers the next day, it's that good.

I'll give you the recipe as I made it. You can read the original, plus Don's excellent grilling tips here. So the next day when it's looking to be a scorcher, plan ahead and get your meat marinating early in the day. Then when it's time to fix dinner, it's as easy as tossing it on the grill.


Sortachef Fabulous Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs
- adapted from Sortachef

makes 6-8 skewers, but that can be stretched by including more fruits and veggies

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp shaved fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp white vinegar
2-1/2 lbs chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1/2 large onion (red or yellow both work), cut into chunks
Pineapple chunks (optional)
Green and or red bell pepper chunks (optional)
Baby corn cobs (optional)

1- Place the first 7 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes.

2- Put the chicken chunks into a bowl and pour the sauce over them. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

3- If you're using wood skewers, soak them in water 15 minutes before you plan to use them.

4- Thread the chicken chunks onto the skewers, alternating with pieces of onion, peppers, and whatever else you choose to use.

5- Brush the kabobs with the marinade.

6- Grill the kabobs about 3 minutes on each side, brushing with marinade once.

It's a delicious meal served over a bowl of brown rice.