Zesty Grilled Chicken

We loved this recipe - it made for very juicy, flavorful chicken that grilled up very nicely. This chicken works wonderfully atop (or next to) a large salad (which is how we enjoyed it), but is very versatile and could be served a number of ways. It has a distinctly "zesty Italian" flavor to it. I think it would be great with pasta as well.

It's hard for me to accept that summer is quickly drawing to an end... September 22nd is the first day of fall... that is just over ONE MONTH away! On September 24th I'm flying out to Chicago with my sister and friend to attend a good friend's wedding and we'll be spending a couple days there which I'm very excited about and looking forward to - but it is alarming to me how fast the days are flying. September is already completely booked up with parties and events - DragonCon is coming the first weekend in September and this will be my first year going. My son has very much been looking forward to it. Then Lindsey's 3rd birthday party the following weekend at her godmother's, another friend's birthday party the weekend after that, then Chicago. The weekend after that is Petit Le Mans in Atlanta, and the weekend after that (for good measure) we're driving to North Carolina to take the kids to Great Wolf Lodge as part of Lindsey's birthday celebration. THEN a break... for one week... then another event October 23rd. Then seriously a break... because once Halloween arrives the year is over. It just is. We snowball from decorating for Halloween, to sugared out kiddos, to decorating for fall, Thanksgiving Day, shopping and wrapping then Christmas Day! So, with that said... trying to remember to take it all in, breath, enjoy the days as they come, even when they're difficult, or painful, or sad... be blessed, be grateful, be filled with joy. There is always something good in each and every day.

Zesty Grilled Chicken adapted from Happily Unprocessed

Ingredients

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 TBS Dijon mustard (I used a hot and spicy mango mustard)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS lime juice

1/2 TBS lemon juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

3 - 3 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut horizontally to have thinner pieces which will cook quicker)

Instructions

1. In a large Ziploc bag, combine the marinade ingredients. Add chicken pieces. Seal the bag and gently press and rotate bag for a minute or two to allow ingredients to be fully combined and chicken to evenly rest in the marinade.
2. Put the chicken in the fridge and marinate at least 2 hours (I left mine in for about 24 hours - I think overnight is best if you have the time).
3. When you're ready to cook your chicken, prep your grill by cleaning and spraying with nonstick cooking spray before lighting. Heat to medium / medium-high heat and cook chicken until juices run clear (this will depend on thickness - mine took about 15-20 minutes).

Note: You can also combine marinade ingredients in a separate container and reserve about 1/2 cup of it to pour over the cooked chicken just before serving, if desired.