Grilled Chicken with fresh Rosemary

It's about 4:30 in the afternoon.  I've just returned from work. I've been bidding new work and I'm behind on that.  I haven't started the quarterly tax returns, yet.  They are due by the end of the month, so I'll be working on the weekend.

I pull out the chicken breasts to find they are still a little frosty.  I put my big collandar into the sink with the chicken breasts in them and turn on the faucet so that cool water runs over them.  I start making the marinade. The marinade makes enough for 8 to 12 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Here is a good opportunity for planned left overs.  We'll have Chicken Caesar Salad for lunch tomorrow.

LeAnn's Marinade for Grilled Chicken
1 clove garlic
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 T. lemon juice, the bottled kind for marinades is okay with me (Use fresh for salad dressings)
1/2 c olive oil
1 t. dijon mustard
1 T. fresh rosemary finely minced

I recommend marinading meat in pyrex pie plates.  I do that all the time.  Dry the chicken with paper towels and arrange them in the pie plate.  Add the marinade and leave it on the counter top.  I'd refrigerate this if I was going to leave it for long.

Husband comes through asking me if I'm going to yoga.  I say yes and I'll return in a little more than 1 hour.  I ask him if we are expecting any kids, large or small.  He says no and I'm off.

I return after a lovely hour of yoga to a busy house with kids, the small kind.  Fortunately I've got plenty of chicken.  I ask Husband to turn on the propane grille which he does.  As it heats, I start a pot of rice and another of brocolli.  Many times Hailey is interested in cooking with me, but tonight Spong Bob Square Pants has her attention. 

Husband works around me heating a bottle for the smallest one.  The chicken goes on the grille.  I've had good success with this marinade.  My recipe is printed on a dot matrix printer and I haven't had one for 15 years.  I was making it long before that.  This recipe adds a lot of flavor to plain chicken.  I think it is better than any bottled marinade on the market.  I don't buy that sort of thing any more.

Off comes the chicken and its dinner.  I add butter to to the rice, taste it and add a little more salt.  Hailey wants to taste it also, so I hand her a spoon.  I drain the brocolli, add more butter and salt.  Hailey eats a boat load of everything. 

Hint of the day:  If you need chicken to cook very fast - and you can get the thawed first, pound them with a meat mallet.  Most instructions I've seen for this say to put a layer of plastic wrap or wax paper out, put the chicken pieces on it, and put another layer of plastic wrap or wax paper on top, then pound.  That just doesn't work.  You end up pounding holes in your plastic wrap and just making a big mess.  The sacks that cereal or crackers come in are sturdier and work for this procedure.  I save them all and use them for this and other purposes.  Open up the sack until it is flat, lay the chicken on it, fold it over to cover the chicken and pound away. 

The pounding breaks up some of the stucture of the meat and makes a flatter fillet which cooks much quicker.  If you don't have a meat mallet, my mother used the bottom of a small sauce pan.  Just hold onto the handle and bang it.  Actually feels good.  I just saw a Rachael Ray where she did this same thing with a rolling pin.  Don't think I need chicken juice on my rolling pin, Rachael.  Just saying, don't run out and buy a meat mallet unless you want to.   You probably have something in your kitchen that works just fine. 

Still plenty of chicken left for Chicken Caesar Salad at lunch tomorrow.  I'll pack the ingredients in the morning and take them to work with me.  Check back for that.

Remember to be organized.