Barbara Beauregard at the grill. Photo courtesy of Barbara Beauregard
I grew up with a very small food selection because my dad was fussy. I always say I could match him against any other picky eater, my dad would always win. Because of that, I went the opposite way — I like to cook different things, always using a recipe. I am not a creator. When I first met the man who became my husband and was invited to Sunday dinner, I ate broccoli and zucchini for the first time and loved both. I was 20 years old.
Since then, the world of flavors has opened to me. I own many cookbooks and will try anything once. When my kids were little, my rule was you don’t have to eat the whole thing, but take one taste to decide. One taste is mandatory. After that, you can decide no more of that for me. All three kids grew up with sophisticated palates. It has stood them in good stead over the years.
I am very lucky my husband will try anything I put in front of him, and when I ask for a score on the dish, he is completely honest with me. Larry gave this one 4.5 out of 5. (He never ever gives perfect scores.)
Grilled Chicken and Vegetables with Mojo Sauce
The recipe is one of my barbecue in the summer standbys. If it starts raining, you can put it in the oven; I would say 350 degrees F until the chicken is done. Start marinating the chicken in the morning, or even the night before, but beware, the longer it sits in the marinade, the stronger the flavor. The recipe is from Bon Appetit, July 2002. The article suggested you make your own red beans and rice. I did this the first time I made it. It was tedious and not that great so now I buy a box of Zatarain’s red beans and rice at the supermarket!
8 servings
FOR THE MARINADE:
1 ½ cups olive oil
1 ½ cups fresh lime juice (If I only have bottled, I go with that)
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
18 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (if I am being lazy, I use less)
1 ½ tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper (My husband and I like less, use your own judgment)
Mix everything together. This is your marinade. Pour into a 1-gallon Ziplock bag, making sure it has no holes. (That happened to me once, and the refrigerator was not pretty.) You can reserve some of the marinade separately to pass as sauce, which I do.
FOR THE GRILLED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES:
1 recipe Mojo Marinade
6 pieces of chicken (I use all boneless breasts)
2 large zucchinis, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch thick slices
2 large summer squashes, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch thick slices
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, cut into 6 wedges
2 large yellow bell peppers, seeded, cut into 6 wedges
2 large green bell peppers, seeded, cut into 6 wedges
Lime wedges, for serving
Red beans and rice, for serving
Place the chicken in the Ziplock bag with the marinade. Leave at least 6 hours in the refrigerator and up to overnight, turning the bag occasionally to marinate everything evenly.
Get your grill going. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for about 20 minutes, turning often until cooked through. Place the veggies on the grill and grill just until charred and tender, about 10 minutes, turning often.
Transfer the chicken and veggies to a platter. Serve with lime wedges, the reserved mojo and the red beans and rice.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I have the leftovers, reheated, for lunch.
THE COOK:
Barbara Beauregard: I am an obsessed cook who lives in Brewer and whose family is grown with all three children living in different states. I have four grandchildren (two boys, two girls) four grandcats, two grandogs, one grand bunny. My husband and I like to travel…..more opportunities to try new things.
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