Spiced Chicken Skewers with Grapes: The Chicken Recipe OF CHAMPIONS

Before our regularly scheduled Monday recipe, I’d like to get a few quick things out of the way.

1) Apologies to reader Megan. Dude. I shouldn’t have doubted.

2) EEEEEEEEEEEE!

3) Seriously? DID YOU SEE THAT? Especially that part at the end when Manning evaded like, 15 guys who were trying to bring him down and then threw a 32-yard pass to Tyree, who had to jump, like, 150 FEET in the air to catch the ball ON HIS HEAD and then still managed to stay alive after landing on his back where it looked like the defender had SNAPPED HIM IN TWO but he still kept possession and put the Giants in a good position for the touchdown? Yeah, that was neat.

4) Preview of the Manning house at Thanksgiving:
PEYTON MANNING: I’m thankful for winning the Super Bowl last year.
ELI MANNING: I’m thankful for winning the Super Bowl this year.
COOPER MANNING: I have not won the Super Bowl, but I’m thankful for having brothers who did. I am also thankful for potatoes.
MRS. MANNING: I am thankful our DNA is made of fairy dust. High five, dear.
MR. MANNING: Yeah, our family is awesome. High five, honey.

5) As is his ritual, my dad wore his 21-year-old Giants boxers (purchased for the 1987 Super Bowl) on the outside of his pants for the game. My family is firmly convinced this was, and will continue to be, the key to sweet Blue victory.

So ... oh yeah. Food. This is a food blog. Must … write about … food (GIANTS).

Okay. Here goes. Since Saturday was a bit jammed by Super Bowl preparations, I had to cook something fast, easy, and light. Fortunately, Ellie Krieger was shining her pearly whites at exactly the same time I was making up the grocery list. While I didn’t have a grill handy, I figured her Spiced Chicken Skewers would work just fine with my broiler.

By rule, food on a stick automatically tastes four times better than its non-impaled counterparts. But even with this in mind, The Boyfriend and I were pleasantly surprised by Ellie’s dish. It was simple, inexpensive, and wonderfully moist, with enough hint of lemon to keep it from being blah. Warmed and split by the heat, the grapes were a nice touch, too.

Food Network kindly provided fat and calorie computations, so only the price is figured out below. It’s also worth noting that this would be a great meal for someone on Weight Watchers. I think it comes out to four (maybe five?) points. Bonus.

That's all for now, I think. My parents are still delirious, so if anyone needs me, I’ll be trying to convince Dad that boxers-outside-of-pants might not be a good look for work. (But why burst the man’s bubble?)

GO BLUE!

Spiced Chicken Skewers with Grapes

Serves 4 – 2 skewers each
Adapted from Ellie Krieger.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
8 (10-inch) skewers (Metal or wood will work. – Kris)
1 1/2 cups seedless green grapes
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves (I skipped this. – Kris)
1 lemon, cut into wedges (I skipped this, too. – Kris)

1) Combine oil, zest, juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together. Add chicken and mix so every piece is coated with marinade. Let sit for 20 minutes. During this time, soak wooden skewers if you're using them. (Or they'll burn. Metal skewers don't need soaking.)

2)  Skewer the chicken and grapes like so: chicken, grape, chicken, grape, chicken, grape, chicken, grape. Spray a grate or broiler pan with cooking spray. Broil or grill skewers for 3 minutes. Turn over and cook another 3 or 4 minutes, until some grapes split and chicken is done. If desired, serve topped with mint and next to lemon slices.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price per Serving
220 calories, 6 g fat, $0.71

Calculations
2 tablespoons olive oil: $0.16
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest: $0.05
1 tablespoon lemon juice: $0.20
2 cloves garlic, minced: $0.10
1 teaspoon ground cumin: $0.02
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander: $0.02
1/2 teaspoon salt: $0.01
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes: $1.79
1 1/2 cups seedless green grapes: $0.48
Cooking spray: $0.02
TOTAL: $2.85
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): $0.71

Posted in: Mains,Meat and Fish