May 21, 2008 By Jennifer Harr 3 min read

Baby, it’s hot outside – so get yourself ready to fire up the grill.

The warming weather signifies (for me anyway) a desire to get out of my kitchen to take full, unabashed advantage of the sunshine. But hey, a gal’s still gotta eat, right? The simple solution to this culinary dilemma? Of course, the grill.

Now, I’ve heard people debate the merits of gas vs. charcoal, and frankly, I can’t really weigh in. One of my buddies swears by charcoal as the superior grilling method, claiming it gives the food more flavor.

Gas grilling, however, has been the only route I’ve ever gone. Perhaps it has something to do with the path of least resistance, (my favorite way to trek through life) because there’s less of a process involved – and a quicker food-to-my-stomach payoff.

But no matter which way you chose to grill, you can’t go wrong with flavors like the ones in my basil shrimp or chili chicken.

Although the chicken recipe calls for grilling the whole breasts, much like the shrimp they can be cut into chunks and threaded onto skewers – all you need to do is reduce the cooking time. Just remember one important rule: if you’re using skewers to grill your food, make sure that you thread the skewers with the same thing.

While alternating shrimp, chicken, vegetable may look pretty, it doesn’t account for the different cooking times that the foods have. Overcooked shrimp and undercooked chicken definitely isn’t fun in the sun food.

BASIL GRILLED SHRIMP

2 ½ tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup butter, melted

1 ½ lemons, juiced

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons fresh minced basil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined Salt and pepper to taste Mix together all ingredients but shrimp in shallow dish. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour (no longer), stirring shrimp several times to ensure an even marinade. Thread shrimp onto metal skewers and grill over medium high heat for 2 minutes per side.

CHILI CHICKEN

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 dried chili peppers, halved

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix together all ingredients, except for chicken, in a shallow dish.

Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinade chicken up to 1 day, turning several times to coat thoroughly.

Grill chicken over high heat about 7 minutes a side, depending on thickness.

VEGGIE PACKAGES

2 ½ pounds potatoes, cut into ¼-inch thick pieces

1 large sweet potato, cubed

2 sweet onions, sliced into ¼-inch wedges

1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 sprig each, fresh rosemary and thyme

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Aluminum foil

Mix potatoes, onion, green beans rosemary and thyme in a large bowl.

Add olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Lay 2-3 pieces of foil down in a layer and brush with oil.

Add desired amount of vegetables for a serving and tightly seal foil packet.

Repeat until all vegetables are used up.

Grill over high heat about 30 minutes.