This weeks easy, healthy, & Cheap family dinners | Grill Out Season

You all know what time it is... grilling seasonnnnn! & let me tell you, I am THRILLED. Our daughter is due in 3 weeks and 3 days...(not that I'm counting lol).. and I think that these easy to prep grilled meals are going to have to sustain our little family for the first few weeks. (and yes Grey is an excellent cook- he can cook literally anything... the whole grilling option is more of a preference at the moment haha) BUT for those of you with husbands who only cook when there is charcoal and open flame, these are for you. you're welcome.

ok, so full disclosure these are your non-traditional options for grilling out- lets be honest, everyone knows how to grill a hamburger or a hot dog. With this article, I wanted to show you just how many options you actually have for your grill. I have compiled a few recipes that are delicious and ALL the protein and veg is cooked on the grill. All you have to "cook" in the kitchen is a simple side like plain white rice in a rice cooker. everything else, goes to hubby. These meals are wonderfully RIDICULOUSLY healthy and absolutely delicious- and you can use the basics and put your own flavor twist on it. I kinda bounced between a few different protein/ veg/ flavor profiles, but you can easily mix and match. And I, of course, covered all the bases- pork, fish, shellfish, beef, and chicken.

I hope you all enjoy as much as I am going to!

No. 1

GRILLED CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN

W/ CUBAN CORN & GRILLED TOMATOES & PEPPERS

Tequila cilantro Lime chicken

1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless, thinly sliced)

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (divided)

1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/8 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or regular)

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

2 oz tequila

2 limes (1 juiced & zested, 1 cut into wedges for serving)

Instructions:

DAY BEFORE: Rinse and pat Chicken dry. Combine chicken and all seasonings, herbs, lime juice and zest, tequila, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a Ziploc bag. Shake well to incorporate. Store in refrigerator over night while marinating.

DAY OF: Preheat grill to medium heat. Scrape and brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the grill is heated, toss on the chicken breasts and cook on each side approximately 3-4 minutes, flipping once. Time will be dependent on the thickness of the chicken breast. Remove from heat. Serve with an extra squeeze of lime juice and fresh chopped cilantro.

CUBAN CORN

½ stick butter, melted

¼ cup mayonnaise

3 tbsp sour cream

Pinch of salt

3 tsp SWEET & SPICY COCOA RUB (divided)

¾ cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

6 ears of corn, husks peeled back and silk removed

1 lime (zested and cut into wedges for serving

Instructions:

Preheat grill to high heat. Remove husk from corn cob. Mix melted butter and 1 tb spicy cocoa seasoning blend together. For convenience, you can skewer corn on pre-soaked skewers. Brush seasoned butter on corn and grill, turning every 2-3 minutes until tender and slightly charred, about 10-12 minutes. Stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream,1/2 of the cilantro, 1 tbs spicy cocoa rub, zest from lime, and salt. Place the cotija cheese in a shallow dish. Set aside. Immediately remove corn from grill, brush with mayo mixture and roll in cotija cheese to coat. Sprinkle with additional seasoning blend and remaining chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and squeeze prior to eating.

Grilled tomato's & Peppers

1 container cherry tomatos

1 large red onion

1 green bell pepper

1 Orange bell pepper

2-3 chili peppers

1-2 jalepeno peppers

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic

1/4 tsp red pepper flake

1/4 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taske

Juice and zest of 1/2 lime

1/3 cup fine chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup olive oil

Pack of wood Skewers

Instructions:

Soak wood skewers in water so that they are fully immersed. Preheat grill to high heat. Wash and chop all vegetables into even sized cubes. Slide vegtables onto wood skewers. Combine spices, olive oil, and lime in food processor container. Baste mixture over the skewers and continue doing so as you are cooking them on the grill. cook untill charred and veg is tender, approximately 8-10 minutes.

Serve with white rice, chopped cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges, and grilled flour tortillas

No. 2

GRILLED ORANGE GINGER SALMON

W/ grilled ASPARAGUS & Sweet Potato

ORANGE- GINGER SALMON

1 Orange, separated- (reserve 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, 1/2 orange zest, and 1/2 orange peel sliced)