Sunny & Bright

Medeterranean Lemon & Thyme Chicken, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

It's officially summer. Well, I suppose it's been officially summer for quite some time now. However, just a few weeks ago here in the Northwest we had a week straight of cold weather, grey skies, and rain. So, you never really know what you're going to get when you wake up in the morning here. The last two weeks have been sunny, and at times, for me, much too hot. I hear it may make it to the 90's later on this week. Ick!

So, what do I do when the hot weather rolls in for some time and sticks around (as much as the sweat sticks to my brow)? Grill. Sure, you're outside in the heat, but it's far better than being inside a hot, stuffy house, slaving over an even hotter stove. Plus, many of my grilling go-to's don't require much slaving. This mediterranean inspired dish is incredibly simple and is one of my absolute favorites. It takes about 5 minutes to prep, and cooks up fast on the grill. The marinade consists of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, and salt and pepper. Easy on the budget, big on taste. I serve this chicken with pitas, tatziki sauce and a simple salad of cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes and feta dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil. It makes a lovely light dinner, so after you've finished enjoying you don't feel heavy (and even hotter). It may sound too simple for a few of you, but trust me, easy doesn't mean it's lacking flavor, it's like a punch to the mouth of flavor. I would say the beau and I eat this on almost a weekly basis during July and August.

Medeterranean Lemon & Thyme Chicken, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Recipe: Mediterranean Lemon & Thyme Chicken

Ingredients:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (you could use any kind of chicken really, drumsticks, wings, thighs, bone-in etc.)
3 Tablespoons quality olive oil
Juice of one lemon
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. place lemon juice, olive oil, and thyme in a medium sized bowl
2. add and coat chicken thoroughly, sprinkle with salt and pepper
3. cover and chill for at least one hour (you could marinate overnight for even more flavor)
4. heat up grill, grill one side of chicken for 3-5 minutes, until slightly charred, flip and grill for an additional 3 minutes
5. Serve hot off the grill

This chicken makes for some flexible leftover options, throw chilled chicken on a green salad or toss with some pasta, parmesan, and butter, you name it!