Grills are a girls best friend

What?! That isn't how the saying goes? Well, today it is. What is not to love? No pots/pans to clean afterwards, no messy stove to wipe off and you get to enjoy the fresh air while cooking! Plus, when it gets hot, you don't have to heat up your house with the oven/stove.

Let me just tell you how excited I am that it is finally warming up! I was so happy to clean off the grill and cook us some chicken last night. I made something I had never tried before and we really loved it. It is called:

Grilled Chicken Taco Salad (ours were more like tostadas since I didn't have any lettuce....)


Here is the recipe if you are interested:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup salsa (I used more)
1 TB fresh lime (or lemon) juice (I used more)
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped
2 TB chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander (I didn't have any and it tasted fine)
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TB olive oil
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken
8 corn tortillas
4 cups thinly sliced lettuce
lime wedges, avocado slices, and sour cream (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, mix beans, salsa, lime/lemon juice, and half of cilantro;set aside.
2. In cup, stir chili powder, cumin, coriander, sugar, salt, cayenne, and oil until evenly mixed. (I also added some lemon juice) (mixture will be dry)
3. If necessary, pound chicken to 1/4" thickness. With hands, rub chicken with chili powder mixture.
4. Place chicken on hot grill rack over medium-high heat and grill about 8-10 minutes (or until juices in thickest part run clear). Place corn tortillas on grill and cook turning once, until lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board. Place tortillas on plates.
5. Cut chicken into long, think strips. Top tortillas with lettuce, bean mixture and strips. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. If you want, add lime wedges, avocado, sour cream or grated cheese.

This was really yummy and very easy to put together as well. Eric really liked it. He is not a picky eater but when he says he really likes something, I know it is good :)

So there you have it. The grilling season has started and I plan to use my indoor kitchen as little as possible! This came from grilling recipe book my mom gave me (Good House Keeping Grill It!) and I plan to use it a lot this Spring and Summer. If anyone else has any favorite grilling recipes, I would love to hear about them!