marinade

I came home to summer in Colorado! THANK GOODNESS! AT LAST!!!!

We’ve had like 5-6 weeks of Spring snow storms, so the last thing I was interested in seeing was another one of those forecast marked with a little white flake. It DOES look like we’re in the clear… Keyword: LOOK.

Really, when you live in Colorado, you can get snow into June. I haven’t seen it before… but I’ve heard about it. For now, I’m going to enjoy the temps in the mid 80s and just be grateful it’s gorgeous!

When I think of summer weather… I get excited about firing up my grill! This recipe is the first one I cooked on the grill this year, and oh-was-it-ever-amazing!

It also was an incredibly easy recipe from my girl over at The Girl Who Ate Everything. Christy’s recipes have become some of my absolute favorites, and this tasty Hawaiian chicken is no exception!

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. of boneless skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup water
1/2 cups brown sugar
1/3 bunch of green onions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1 Tbsp. white onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 tsp. sesame oil
1/3 can light coconut milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Trim chicken breasts of any visible fat. Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk in a large bowl. Marinade chicken for at least 8 hours or overnight to make sure the flavor gets infused. Note: Christy’s original recipe called for boneless chicken thighs, but I switched to breasts. Also, I didn’t have any onion handy, so I didn’t add the green or white this round. I will next time!

2. Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done. If you do not have a grill, you can use a indoor grill pan.

3. Allow chicken to rest 3-5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!!!

Day Two of MFP and the Biggest Loser Premiere

Arctic Zero Milkshake

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Little known fact: When I was in college, I worked at the Cracker Barrel Country Store as a server. I actually worked there for like a year and a half. Seriously.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating at the Cracker Barrel, it’s known for it’s Southern cooking and is a traveler’s favorite. They literally have maps of where all the Cracker Barrel locations are in the state… and you can plan your stops accordingly.

It also has a huge local following. I was amazed at how many regulars we’d have at the restaurant, especially on Wednesday nights… when the vegetable of the day was Macaroni and Cheese. Seriously.

My memories of working at Cracker Barrel are actually pretty funny. I was a silly college kid and had a few friends that worked there, too. Honestly, I’m not sure why we did… coming home at the end of a long night with $25 in tips is not exactly a moneymaker. Just the same, we stayed… and served up the beans and greens and ate more cornbread and biscuits than anyone should. Although, there was something fun about wearing a brown apron with your name written on it with stars on it (no, really… there is nothing about that either.)

After working there as long as I did, I kept a fondness for their food. They have AMAZING biscuits and gravy, delicious parmesan peppercorn dressing, and the chocolate cobbler is to die for. My favorite dish they make, however, just might be their grilled chicken tenderloins.

The chicken is simply marinated and grilled, but there’s something crazy-delicious about the marinade. I’ve googled a copycat recipe in the past, but last week was the first time I ever made it. Yum-O!