I know Zach is excited for summer because he doesn’t have to work, since he’s a teacher. But I might potentially be more excited. I’ve been trying to find that delicate balance of being able to work from home AND be a stay at home mom- it’s hard doing two jobs at once, especially when one of your bosses screams at you and demands food constantly. I’m excited to be able to really focus on some new projects for the blog while Zach takes over watching Zoey during the day. Speaking of new projects for the blog, this recipe is part of a fun event I’m participating in with 15 other awesome food bloggers! We’re all creating awesome recipes for #MemorialDayGrillFest- recipes perfect for Memorial Day cookouts. There are all kinds of yummy things coming your way this week and next (including a GRILLED FRUIT SANGRIA… what?!). I’ll be sharing all the deliciousness on my social media next week- make sure you keep an eye out for the #MemorialDayGrillFest hashtag on instagram and follow me on facebook and twitter for all the latest!
Back to the recipe. What I LOVE about this recipe is that everything is cooked on the grill- including the ingredients for the sweet pepper relish. While the chicken skewers cook, the bell peppers and onions get charred and soft on the grill as well. Then, they are tossed in a food processor with some cilantro, salt, and pepper, and chopped up finely with a few pulses. It. Is. DELICIOUS. It’s almost like a bell pepper gazpacho, but more… relishy. There. New word.
The other great thing about this relish? It would be delicious on hot dogs as well. I recommend putting it in a bowl as a condiment for all your cookout fare. Steak, grilled eggplant or zucchini, fish… all would be wonderful topped with the sweet pepper relish. The chicken has just a little bit of heat to it from the chili powder, which complements the sweet taste of the bell peppers so well. Grilling them brings out their sweet flavor (like roasted red peppers).
Since the chicken is seasoned just with spices, you don’t have to worry about marinating it. But if you want to save some time, I’d recommend cutting the chicken up, seasoning it, and skewering it ahead of time. That way, you just have to throw it on the grill and not worry about the prep during your cookout. The other awesome thing about this recipe? Its simplicity. You only need six ingredients besides oil, salt, and pepper for tons of flavor that allows the veggies and chicken to really stand out without being smothered by other flavors.
You’ll need either metal skewers or bamboo skewers for this. If you use bamboo, soak them in water for 20 minutes before using (this will prevent them from burning and catching fire over the grill). We have a classic Weber charcoal grill that we love- you can cook these on a gas grill or indoors on a grill pan, if you want. This would be excellent served with Spicy Jalapeño Cilantro Slaw on the side. Here’s the full recipe for Grilled Chicken Skewers with Sweet Pepper Relish! Happy Grilling :-)
