Chicken, Veggie & Rice Bowl

I found the recipe for the rice bowl on pinterest. It was called California chicken, veggie, avocado and rice bowl originally posted by Halfbakedharvet.com. The marinade is really good. I will use it in the future for chicken. It does have a bit of kick to it - not much though- just a bit. I drizzled some homemade pablano sauce over the top of my rice bowl - I will post the recipe later.

serves 4

for the marinade:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, or tenders, cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic,minced or grated
1/2 tsp EACH - onion powder, black pepper, smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp roasted ground cumin ( my addition. I found it in the spice aisle and had to try it. yummy)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 1 Tbl dried
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, or 1 Tbl dried

Combine marinade ingredients in a large plastic zip lock bag. Shake to mix. Add chicken. Place in refrigerator and marinate while you cook your rice and veggies. ( I didn't use the parsley or basil I had neither dry nor fresh on hand) When ready to grill chicken, thread on skewers and grill over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes per side, gently flipping a few times until chicken is cooked through and has light char marks.

for the rice:
1 1/2 cup jasmine or basmati rice
3 cups water

Add the water to a medium size pot. Bring to a low boil ( I added 1 tsp of chicken base) and then add the rice. Stir to combine and then place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible Allow the rice to cook ten minutes on low and then turn the heat completely off and let the rice sit on the stove, covered, for another 20 minutes ( do NOT peek - you heard me! ) After 20 minutes remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork.

Grill any veggies you want. Grilled zucchini, red bell pepper, onions.

To assemble bowls: divide rice into 4 bowls, divide chicken and any grilled vegetables. Also can use fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh avocado, feta or blue cheese. Drizzle salsa or poblano sauce or cheddar cheese if you like.

Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken (Greek Chicken)

I found the recipe for the chicken marinade in an Instyle magazine eons ago. They were doing an article on John Stamos...yes from Full House sitcom fame...he gave his dad's recipe for Greek Chicken...delish! ..Plan ahead - the chicken needs to marinate overnight. He also uses this marinade for Grilled Shrimp, and Sea Scallops.

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of white wine (plus a nip for the cook!)

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tsp salt

freshly cracked pepper and fresh flat leaf parsley isn't in the original recipe, but I added it. 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. **** I ditched the bowl, and just put the marinade ingredients straight into the zip lock bag, zipped it, and then shook it to combine. 

Marinate chicken overnight in the refrigerator - turning occasionally. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade; season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat on charcoal or gas grill (turning once) about 10 minutes. ( I used my cast iron grill pan on the stove)  Let sit 5 minutes before slicing. Serves 8 if using 3 pds of chicken.

OR....for marinated grilled seafood:

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/4 pound sea scallops
wooden skewers

In a ziplock bag marinate seafood in refrigerator for 2 hours, turning occasionally. Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes. Remove seafood from marinade; discard marinade. Place on skewers; season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat on charcoal or gas grill, 6-8 minutes, or until opaque. Serves 8.

Marinated Sirloin Steak

This is a wonderful marinade it can make a holiday special main dish, or since the meat has to marinate overnight it makes a great take along for camping. Just grill it up after you get your camp set up.

Marinated Sirloin Steak

2 to 2 1/2 pds sirloin steak (about 1 inch thick)
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbl white wine vinegar
2 tbl lemon juice
2 tbl dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp pepper

Place steak in a shallow dish, or large heavy duty resealable plastic bag. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over meat. Cover or seal, and refrigerate overnight. Remove meat; discard marinade. Let sit about 20 minutes before grilling. Grill uncovered, over medium coals/heat until meat is cooked as desired about 6-7 minutes per side for rare, 8-10 minutes per side for medium, or 11-13 minutes for well done. 6 servings.

Grilled Five Spice Steak

Marinade

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbl. minced fresh ginger AND garlic
• 1 tbl. vegetable oil
• 1 tbl. cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp. five-spice powder (should be easy to find in the spice aisle)
• 2 1/2 pds top round steak, or london broil

Combine ingredients for marinade in a shallow dish. Add meat, turning to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight. One hour before grilling, remove steak from fridge. Prepare grill. Grill meat over medium coals 12-15 minutes per side. Let stand 10 minutes. Slice VERY thin across the grain.