Greek Chicken Skewers

Greek-inspired chicken skewers with lots of flavor! Marinade is also wonderful on grilled vegetables.

Ingredient Checklist

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• ¼ cup wok oil

• ⅛ cup red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon onion flakes

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 lemon, zested

• 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning

• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, or as needed, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 8 bamboo skewers, or as needed, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Directions

• Step 1

  Whisk lemon juice, oil, vinegar, onion flakes, garlic, lemon zest, Greek seasoning, poultry seasoning, oregano, pepper, and thyme together in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag.

• Step 2

  Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

• Step 3

  Preheat the oven to 350 F.

• Step 4

  Remove chicken from the marinade and shake off excess; thread onto skewers. Discard the remaining marinade. Place the skewers on a baking sheet.

• Step 5

  Roast in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Cook's Note:

The skewers can also be cooked on the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Cook skewers on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 165 F.

Fair Sausage and Peppers

It wouldn’t be a county fair with questionable sausage and peppers that have probably been cooking for far too long.

Ingredients

• 8 (4 ounce) links Italian sausage

• 1 tablespoon garlic flavored olive oil

• 3 medium (blank)s green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

• 2 medium (blank)s red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips

• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

• 6 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 large onion, cut into wedges

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 2 tablespoons garlic flavored olive oil

Directions

• Step 1

  Slice each sausage link into 5 pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, and cook until browned, turning as needed.

• Step 2

  Drain excess grease, then add the green, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over all, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

• Step 3

  Remove the lid, and stir. Add the garlic and onion to the pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover, and simmer for 15 more minutes. Stir, then top with mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook for 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Remove from the heat and enjoy.

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed', ye shall make and enjoy this simple, tangy, delicious grilled chicken dish!

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup Dijon mustard

• ¼ cup honey

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon steak sauce

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Preheat the grill for medium heat.

2. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning!

Baja Grilled Chicken Tacos

These grilled chicken tacos are a treat with a bit of exotic flavor for our area. This recipe features a seasoning mix known as Sazon. Fill warm tortillas with sauteed chicken and serve with your choice of garnishes and black bean and corn salad.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs

• canola oil cooking spray

• 1 (10 ounce) package corn tortillas, or as needed

Directions

1. Combine cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add lime juice and olive oil and stir to make the marinade. Add chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 12 hours.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Grill marinated chicken until no longer pink at the bone and juices run clear, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl and shred chicken with forks.

3. Spray canola oil onto the tortillas and heat on the grill approximately 45 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with a paper towel to keep warm. Serve with shredded chicken.

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Sazon Seasoning

Open Fruit of the Achiote Tree

Sazon, the spice mixture above, is like the magic spice blend in many of my Latin dishes. It’s commonly found in the supermarket in small envelopes that you add to stews, beans, rice, etc. It gives yellow rice that yellow color and basically makes anything taste good! Goya is the most popular brand, , but it’s not easy to find in our region so I make my own which I keep stored in a small spice jar, so instead of using a packet of sazon, I use one and a half teaspoons of this in it’s place.

The key ingredient in this spice mix is ground annatto, the spice that gives yellow rice that yellow color. Annatto is derived from the seeds of achiote tree. In India it’s referred to as sindoor, and in the Philippines, it is called atsuete. You can find it in hispanic markets, but if you can’t find this, turmeric would be a good substitute. Annatto is also used to artificially color many cheeses.

Adolph's Hot Dog Sauce

15 years ago if you wanted a great hot dog in the Bend Area, you would stop at the end of the Pomeroy-Mason Bridge.  At the foot of the bridge, on the Pomeroy side, there was a small drive-in restaurant.  Many of us remember and miss Adolph's Dairy Valley.  Here's the recipe for their amazing hot dog sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Hamburger, browned
• 2 cups Water
• 2 cups Ketchup
• 1 tbs Worcester Sauce
• 5 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Granulated Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 tbs Dried Onion
• 1/2 cup Sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Brown beef with salt.
2. Add water, dry ingredients and Worcester Sauce.  Bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, add ketchup, and turn down to simmer.
4. Simmer 1.5 hours, stir every 15 minutes, and skim off grease repeatedly.

Firecracker Grilled Salmon

These are salmon fillets in a tasty, tangy sauce with a little heat! Serve with a delicious salad for a refreshing, spicy meal.

Ingredients

• 8 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons green onions, chopped
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place salmon filets in a medium, nonporous glass dish. In a separate medium bowl, combine the peanut oil, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and salt. Whisk together well, and pour over the fish. Cover and marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
2. Prepare an outdoor grill with coals about 5 inches from the grate, and lightly oil the grate.
3. Grill the fillets 5 inches from coals for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part, or until fish just flakes with a fork. Turn over halfway through cooking.