Eye for a Recipe

The ingredient list for this recipe is a bit long, but the results are worth it. Combine chiles, garlic, ginger, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro and spices in a blender and puree until smooth. Use the marinade for skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs; it keeps the meat juicy and adds great flavour.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the spices and peppers for colour and anti-caking agents. Use fresh lime juice and an all-natural yogurt; I use Astro brand.

Combine ingredients in blender

Marinate chicken and then grill under cooked through

Chile-and-yogurt-marinated grilled chicken

Ingredients:

7 dried hot chiles, broken into pieces, seeds removed

1½-inch (3.8 cm) piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves

½ cup (125 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) chopped cilantro stems

3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground coriander

1 tablespoon (15 ml) smoked paprika

1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) crushed dried fenugreek leaves or seeds

1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) garam masala

1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) ground cumin

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus more for grill

1½ pounds (680 g) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, patted dry

Kosher salt

Preparation:

Place chiles in a medium bowl and pour in hot water to cover. Let sit until chiles are very soft, about 30 minutes; drain. Blend chiles, ginger, garlic, yogurt, cilantro stems, lime juice, coriander, paprika, fenugreek leaves, garam masala, cumin, and 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a blender until smooth. Transfer marinade to a large resealable plastic bag. Season chicken generously with salt and add to marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat chicken. Chill at least 2 hours.

Let chicken sit at room temperature 1 hour before grilling.

Prepare a grill for medium heat; oil grate. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into bag, and grill, turning every minute or so, until beginning to char in spots, 8–10 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and let rest 5–10 minutes before serving. Serves 4. Do Ahead: Chicken can be marinated 12 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

From Bon Appetit

Chicken on the grill is a summer staple. But if you’re tired of the same old chicken pieces with barbecue sauce, try this recipe from Epicurious.com, which includes two great grilling tricks — butterflying the chicken and using a board sauce. Removing the backbone from the chicken and flattening it means the chicken cooks more quickly and evenly. Tossing it with an herb-infused sauce on the cutting board allows the warm chicken to soak up the flavours.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The only ingredient that might contain preservatives are the red pepper flakes, so check the label.

Chop cilantro and oregano for the sauce

Set aside some sauce for basting and use the rest on the cooked chicken

Removing the backbone means the chicken will cook for quickly and evenly

Baste the chicken when it is almost done

Toss the cooked chicken with the rest of the sauce on the cutting board

Ingredients:

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) crushed red pepper flakes

¾ cup (180 ml) chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil plus more for grill

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1 4-pound (1.8 kg) chicken, halved, backbone removed

Lime wedges (for serving)

Preparation:

Combine red pepper flakes, cilantro, oregano, lime zest, and ¼ cup (60 ml) oil; season dressing with salt and pepper. Dressing can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Prepare grill for medium indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on 1 side of grill; for a gas grill, leave 1 burner turned off). Brush grill rack with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place, skin side down, on grill. Grill chicken, turning occasionally, until skin is crisp and browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165° F (74° C), 10-15 minutes per side (move chicken to cooler part of grill if it’s cooking too quickly). About 5 minutes before chicken is done, baste with some of dressing.

Pour remaining dressing onto a carving board (or platter, if you don’t have a large board) and place chicken, skin side up, on top. Let sit at least 10 minutes to rest and absorb flavor from dressing before carving. Drizzle chicken with some dressing from board and serve with limes. Serves 4.

From Epicurious.com

This grilled chicken and corn dish from the August 2014 issue of Food and Wine is perfect for a late-summer lunch or casual dinner. Grilled chicken, corn and scallions are tossed with cherry tomatoes, herbs and a tangy jalapeño-lime dressing. If you want the dressing to be less spicy, don’t use the seeds from the jalapeños. Cook’s note – be sure to zest the limes before juicing them.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use fresh lime juice, as the concentrates contain sodium benzoate and are very bitter.

Season the chicken with oil, rosemary, salt and pepper

Leave one layer of the husk on the corn and soak for 10 minutes

Grill the scallions for five minutes and the chicken and corn for 15-20 minutes

Grilled Chicken and Corn with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

Jalapeño-lime dressing

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced jalapeños (with seeds)

1 ¼ tablespoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Salad

4 ears of corn

2 bunches scallions, halved

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Pepper

Four 6-ounce boneless, skin-on chicken breasts

1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, chopped

1 pint Sun Gold tomatoes, halved

¼ cup thinly sliced basil

Chopped chives and finely grated lime zest, for garnish

Preparation:

In a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing.

Light a grill. Remove all but the last layer of green husk from the corn. In a bowl, soak the corn in water for 10 minutes, then drain.

In a bowl, toss the scallions with 2 tablespoons of the oil; season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, coat the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the rosemary; season with salt and pepper.

Grill the corn, scallions and chicken over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until the corn and scallions are lightly charred and the chicken is cooked through, 5 minutes for the scallions and 15 minutes for the corn and chicken. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then thinly slice across the grain.

Chop the scallions into 1-inch pieces. Remove the husks and cut the corn kernels off of the cobs. Transfer the scallions and corn to a large bowl; add the tomatoes, basil and half of the dressing and toss. Transfer the salad to a platter. Top with the chicken and garnish with chives and lime zest. Serve the remaining dressing at the table. Serves 4.

From the August 2014 issue of Food and Wine

Recipes usually suggest marinating chicken before grilling, but this recipe from Martha Stewart Living suggests coating the chicken with a marinade afterwards. It’s quick, easy and tastes great. Any mixture of herbs would work well. You can also use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, as the concentrates contain sodium benzoate.

Place marinade ingredients in shallow dish

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper

Grill the chicken until crispy and cooked through

Toss the grilled chicken with the marinade and serve

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 cup lightly packed mixed fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, and chervil, finely chopped

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds), pounded to make even (optional)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium-high. Combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, and herbs in a baking dish.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill, turning frequently, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to baking dish and turn to coat with marinade. Serve immediately, or refrigerate chicken in marinade up to 1 day, turning to coat a few times. Serves 6.

From Martha Stewart Living