That’s why I was ecstatic to find out the solution was pretty simple: marinate the chicken breasts for about 8 hours in the refrigerator. I used Teriyaki Ginger marinade, but your favorite marinade should do just fine.

I made this happy discovery after tiring of the 30-minute marinades available in grocery stores. Marinating the chicken breast in the marinade for half an hour would add a little taste to the chicken breast, but not enough to make you forget that you’re eating a low-fat piece of chicken!

So I put my chicken breasts in a gallon size Glad bag, zipped it up, and pounded them with my trusty meat mallet. After the chicken breasts were flattened to about the same width, I poured about half a bottle of Teriyaki Ginger marinade into the bag. Having had marinade accidents in the past in the fridge, I have learned to put my zipped bag of chicken into a glass Pyrex casserole dish to avert a marinade drip disaster!

Eight hours later, I pulled out my very happy, Teriyaki-laden chicken breasts and grilled them on my gas grill. Using techniques and a recipe from The Cook’s Illustrated Guide To Grilling And Barbecue, I successfully grilled the boneless chicken breasts in about 10 minutes. Leftovers make a great lunch the next day. What an easy dish!

Photo by Kelly Estes

I’ve never served vegetables that were eaten so fast. My family was tired of eating steamed zucchini, so for a change of pace, I tried grilling the zukes.

What a delicious surprise! The grilled zucchini has a wonderful taste; the slight charred taste contrasts with the familiar sweetness of the zuke and the delicate flavor of the olive oil. When grilled, it is clear how much water is in a zucchini. The burst of the zucchini water is a welcome surprise, especially in the heat of summer. The flavor is simply addictive.

If you hesitate to cut a zucchini lengthwise, try this zucchini recipe.

Grilling zucchini is easy to do, and makes for an impressive veggie platter, whether you’re serving to guests or ‘just’ family.

Grilled Zucchini (on gas grill)

Prep: 15 minutes
Grill time: 8-10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1-2 T. olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat your gas grill to medium high for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut the zucchini lengthwise, in quarters. Having 2 zucchini, I ended up with 8 (fairly equal in width) zucchini slices.
3. Brush the front and back of the zucchini slices with olive oil.
4. Take the platter of zucchini (nicely oiled) and tongs out to your grill area.
5. Using your tongs, carefully place the zucchini on the medium hot grill. Grill for 4-5 minutes each side, depending on thickness of zucchini. You will see the zucchini shrink just a little as it cooks.
6. When both sides are grilled, take the zucchinis off and put on a platter. Lightly salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.

Wild red snapper fillets were on sale at the grocery store a few weeks ago, and I quickly snapped a couple up. Living in north Florida, we are fortunate to see seafood sales frequently. I didn’t realize until recently that the red snapper fishing rules recently passed, along with the dispersant impact of the Deepwater Gulf oil spill on fish, will probably mean red snapper being less widely available.

Wild red snapper gets seasoned.

Regardless of the fish you decide to grill, seasoning it is key, just like with a cut of meat. With snapper, because the fish has a nice taste, and isn’t as bland as some fish, like tilapia, sprinkling a little kosher salt and ground pepper on it, and then brushing on a little extra virgin olive oil when it’s on the grill is the ticket to a tasty entree.

Fish fillets that can fall apart more easily than say, a cut of tuna, are more easily grilled when put in a grill basket for fish. The time needed to cook a red snapper fillet varies depending on the thickness of it, but expect the cooking time to be in the range of 10-11 minutes on a gas grill.

The delicate taste of the grilled red snapper will appeal to both kids and adults….a winning combination!

Quick on the Gas Grill: Red Snapper

1. Preheat your gas grill to high with the lid down, about 15 minutes.
2. Brush fillets with olive oil, then season with kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste.
3. Place fillets carefully into fish basket and secure the handle.
4. Grill the fillets (with grill cover down), turning once halfway through the 10-11 minute cooking time.
5. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and sprigs of parsley as garnish. Enjoy!

What is your favorite fish to grill?

Photos by Kelly Estes