Summer Time Grilled Chicken

As the weather warms up I tend to start cooking on the grill a lot. The beginning of spring is my favorite time to bust out the tongs, open up the propane and make all of my favorite foods that were impossible to make with 3 feet of snow on the ground.

In honor of the copious amounts of snow on the ground, I thought I'd share with you a recipe I made up when I was about 15. It's still one of my favorites and just the smell of it makes me think of summer.

Summer Time Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts, cut in half to form 2 thinner pieces
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar... whatever you have that isn't white)

Directions:  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and pour over chicken breast. Allow to marinade for at least 15 minutes prior to grilling. Grill on medium heat until cooked through.

Optional: You can also either boil the heck out of the remaining marinade for a sauce or you can make a second batch of the marinade (light on the oil) and use that as a sauce.

The smell of this marinade always reminds me of the summer and the finished product is light, slightly spicy and delicious. Serve it with a pasta salad and some grilled vegetables. Yum!