I’m not going to lie, while the end result of dinner was AMAZING, the process of getting there involved a lot of screaming. Mainly from my toddler. Though there was, admittedly, a bit of screaming going on inside my head too.

Even in the midst of screaming, though, my family still expects to be fed (gah!). And so we went on, her fussing and me trying to keep on trucking through dinner prep until the glorious moment we could all sit down to eat.

(As a side note, does anyone else get to this point and then feel like they are too tired to eat?! The struggle is real).

Well, things started looking up when my husband took all the kids outside to play and to get the grill ready. The kitchen was quiet, the kids were happy in the backyard, and dinner was almost ready.

I have a feeling many of our summer dinners will look like this.

Days spent at the river or the pool, or simply creating fun at home, followed by evenings in which we are all contented but exhausted. An easy dinner, often grilled out. Then eating outside and catching fireflies when we finish.  The simple pleasures of summer that do no cost a thing, but will be remembered and cherished just the same. 

A few notes about the recipe: 

• The chicken needs to marinate for at least thirty minutes, but you could also start it in the morning and keep it in the refrigerator until it’s time to make the kabobs.
• The brown rice is baked in the oven using my favorite cooking method. It makes plenty for leftovers to toss on nachos or use for fried rice in another meal. It is also very easy to make ahead earlier in the day or even at the beginning of the week.
• The Greek salad dressing is so good and is my husband’s preferred dressing on most salads. The recipe below will make more than you need. It stores well and can simply be kept on the counter until you need it. (If you keep it in the refrigerator, the oil will cool and harden a bit, so take it out in enough time to warm up a bit before you’re ready to eat).
• Grilled cherry tomatoes are about the best thing ever. Don’t skip them.

{Copycat Zoe’s Kitchen} Grilled Chicken Kabobs, Brown Rice & Greek Salad

Ingredient List

Marinade: 

• 1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 C red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp each: onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp honey

Kabobs: 

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 sweet onion
• 2 zucchini
• 5-6 cremini mushrooms, halved
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes

Brown Rice- (recipe for easy oven baked brown rice)

Greek Salad: 

• 1 head Romaine lettuce, washed & chopped
• crumbled feta cheese
• several cherry tomatoes, halved
• sliced red onions
• kalamata olives
• Greek Dressing (see below)

Method

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl with a fork. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes and transfer to marinade bowl. Toss the chicken in the marinade until all the pieces are coated. Set aside to soak for at least thirty minutes, tossing the chicken one or two times during the marinating time.

2. Start the brown rice. My preferred method is to bake it. Five minutes prep, one hour baking, and perfect every time.

3. Slice the zucchini into 1-inch pieces. Slice the mushrooms in half. Slice the onion into one-inch pieces, without separating the layers. Leave the cherry tomatoes whole.

4. Make your kabobs, sliding a mixture of vegetables and chicken on each skewer. Discard extra marinade.

5. Grease the grilling surface using tongs and a folded paper towel with olive oil. Grill the kabobs, covered, in two batches until the chicken is done and the vegetables are tender and darkened, about fifteen minutes. Rotate each kabob during the cooking time to ensure even cooking and browning.

6. Make the salad: Toss together the lettuce and the next four salad ingredients in a bowl. Make the dressing by combining 1/4 C olive oil, 1/4 C red wine vinegar, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp dijon mustard in a jar and mixing well with a fork. Drizzle dressing over salad or offer with the salad when serving.

What have you fired up your grill for recently?