It's Grilling Season!

Ah readers, the winter is finally over (well in Albuquerque, I have no idea where it's like where you are) and that means it's time for tanning in bikinis, high-waisted shorts, sunburns and grilling. I'm not sure why, but grilled food just tastes better. Maybe it's the primitive cooking method, maybe it's the smoke-infused flavor, maybe it's just the memories associated with the grilling but whatever the reason, grilled food just tastes superior to non-grilled. 

Today's grilled selections are tequila-lime chicken breasts and Mexican street corn. 

First you must marinate your chicken, I did mine about 3 hours prior to grilling. 

Tequila-Lime Grilled Chicken 

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

1 1/2 oz tequila 

1 Tbsp olive oil 

1 tbsp garlic powder 

1 tbsp garlic salt

1 tbsp onion powder

1 1/2 tbsp chile powder 

1 tbsp Mexican oregano 

2 tbsp lime zest 

1 Tbsp lime juice 

1 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped 

Salt and pepper 

In a bowl, season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add in all other ingredients and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let the marinade marinate in the fridge for 3+ hours.

To Grill: 

Light the grill you're using (or if you're using an electric grill, let it come to temperature) and grill your meat until it's cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 

Serve with a lime wedge. 

Mexican Street Corn 

In my opinion, corn just SCREAMS summer. Think about every BBQ, cookout, summer party, etc. you've ever been to: chances are corn was there in some way or another. I love steamed corn with butter and salt; it's simple, it's easy, it's a classic! However tonight I thought Mexican Street Corn might compliment the Tequila-Lime chicken a little bit better than "the classic". 

4 ears of corn 

4 Tbsp butter, softened 

4 Tbsp mayonnaise

1/4 C crumbled queso fresco cheese

1 tbsp chile powder (per ear of corn) 

1 lime wedge (per ear of corn) 

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped (per ear of corn) 

Grill your corn for 15-20 minutes in the husk. The done-ness is determined when the kernels are tender enough to be easily pierced by a fork. Remove husks and fibers. 

Mix together the butter and the mayonnaise until blended. 

Slather mayo mixture on each ear of corn, sprinkle on chile powder and cheese, serve with a lime wedge and cilantro. 

This recipe honestly couldn't be any easier. 

To accompany our end-of-winter feast, Nate made us homemade chocolate red chile pecan ice cream. Chocolate red chile may sound like an odd flavor combo because well, let's be real here, it is. But this combo is gaining popularity here in Burque, it can be found in doughnuts, chocolates, fudge, and cookies. Think of salt and caramel, I'm sure people thought that sounded strange whenever they first heard about it (because I know I did...). 

Hope you're enjoying your end of winter readers and will try out these recipes (or if you're still stuck in the polar vortex, these recipes will give you something to look forward to).