Eating Good in this Neighborhood! Orange Teryaki Chicken and Parmesan Zucchini Chips!

Let's just start this with a self-explanatory photo. See the middle number there? No it is not an equipment malfunction........that is the outside temperature at 6:00 pm tonight. Earlier today, I knew it was going to be hot so I started prepping bone in chicken breasts with seasonings, and made a quick marinade that would later be the dipping sauce. I started with 1/2 c OJ, 1 tsp lime juice, 2 T teryaki, 1 T soy, and about 1 c chicken broth. I brought this to a boil, then thickened it with about 3 t milk combined with 1/2 tsp cornstarch. I poured this over the chicken breasts and put them in the fridge for about 4 hours.

Since my gracious husband offered to stand over the hot BBQ and grill the chicken, (it may have had something to do with its proximity to the kegerator) I prepped the side dish. Since our garden is overflowing with zucchini, that is our side dish for the next month. Please.send.recipes.
I was craving something deep fried and greasy all day (no! I was not hung over), but I knew I would regret it after I ate it. So I found this recipe for baked Parmesan Zucchini Chips! EASY!

1 cup tempura batter mix
3 zucchini sliced
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 T grated parmesan
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of fresh dried basil
3 egg whites

After the zucchini's are sliced, drench them in the egg whites.

Then coat them in the dried tempura batter. It's ok to use bread crumbs too.

Next, I sprayed my aluminum foil with PAM cooking spray, then place the zucchini. I sprayed the tops a bit too! Since the temps were so high today, I was NOT about to fire up the ovens Muffin Man! (name that movie)

So I grabbed an extension cord and my favorite kitchen appliance of ALL time, my Pizza Pizzaz and put it on my bar on my back patio...........and VOILA! instant outdoor kitchen! I can cook a gourmet 7 course meal on this baby! (not really, but almost) I turned the timer on for 18 minutes, and since it cooks from the top and the bottom, I didn't have to turn them. In an oven, it would take about 12 minutes and you should turn them once.
Here is the finished product, crispy and delicious! A thing of beauty! Just was the doctor ordered! And only 1.5 grams of fat per serving! I made a dipping sauce with 1/2 c soy, 1/4 c rice vinegar and 3 T sugar. Heat and dip!

Chicken was grilled to perfection, moist and delicious! While the chicken was on the grill, I reheated the marinade and cooked it down. It made a tangy dipping sauce. It was a fantastic and healthy dinner!

Life happens............blog later and ask for forgiveness!

I was all gung-ho when I started this blog - blogging semi-regularly and then (in no particular order) I:

• Spontaneously booked a 2 week trip with my boys to Wisconsin

• Started a new job
• Worked through my "Catholic laden mom-guilt" and began playing Bunco with a fantastic group of girls one night a month

• Watched my baby turn 6
  

• Planted a garden and much to my surprise and lack of green thumb have began harvesting veggies

• Have been cooking and baking and grilling up a storm! I will post recipes and photos!

• Am trying to enjoy every moment of this summer by taking photos with my new Canon 20d and documenting it by blogging the whole way..........

So I am going to try on my honor to use less words (thank you Emily for Wordless Wednesdays) and letting my photos speak for themselves (work in progress).