Lemon-Rosemary Chicken Kebabs

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Lemon Rosemary Chicken
Happy Monday! I thought I’d start this week off by posting a quick and easy summer dinner recipe. I am growing a number of herbs on my back deck this summer and my rosemary plant is thriving so I’ve had to search out lots of recipes to make use of all of the delicious rosemary! (On that note, my basil has started to look quite sickly lately – the plant has a ton of leaves but they are very small and have turned from green to almost yellow. Thoughts? The plant gets tons of sun so I know that isn’t the problem.)
I just picked up a few nonstick skewers so I was excited to test them out with this recipe for chicken kebabs. The chicken is marinated in a combination of lemon juice/zest, water, rosemary and salt for 20 minutes then tossed with some oil, garlic and pepper before grilling. I made these kebabs on a rainy day so I cooked them inside on a grill pan. I’m sure they would have developed even more smoky flavor had I made them outside, but they were still terrific! The chicken was juicy and best of all, cooked very quickly because the pieces were nice and small. I threaded some red onion on the skewers with the chicken and served it all over couscous.
Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Lemon-Rosemary Chicken Kebabs

Juice of 1 large lemon plus water to equal 2 cups liquid
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh, chopped rosemary
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon pepper
In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the lemon juice, water, lemon zest, rosemary, and kosher salt. Bring mixture to a boil in the microwave, about 1-2 minutes on full power. Stir mixture until salt is dissolved, and allow it to steep for 20 minutes.
Cut chicken into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Place it in a bowl or baking dish, and add the lemon juice mixture, letting the chicken soak for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare skewers by soaking in water for 30 minutes (if using wooden skewers), and preheat grill.
Remove chicken from lemon mixture (discard the mixture), and toss with olive oil, garlic and pepper. Thread skewers with the chicken. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary. Grill over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through. Remove from skewers and serve over a bed of wild rice or couscous.