First Grill of Summer

It's officially grilling season!! For those of you outside of Chicago you have no idea what this means to us. It's not only tolerable but enjoyable to be outside! Let's enjoy this while we can. I grew up in a house with the grill being my dads territory. Having 4 girls that was the only place we didn't try to take over, we just let him own it! I was always intrigued with grilling but didn't think I had any business doing it. Well... I'm ready to meet him halfway! I love grilling... You get to cook outside and change up your daily routine, not to mention those delicious char-grilled flavors that you just can't replicate indoors! I stuck to a simple menu but the payoff was great!

I marinated chicken breasts in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. I also marinated portobello caps in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and McCormick Montreal seasoning (one of my favorite blends). I also grilled fresh corn (husked) and turned those often to get charred all over!

It was a really light dinner which I served with a wedge salad. Ugh I know, been there done that. Truthfully, I try to eat salads often which normally consists of spinach or kale so it's fun to switch it up from time and time and use various wedge toppers to spice it up! Tonight I used ranch with tomatoes, crumbled bacon, red onion, and plenty of black pepper. This was such a good dinner! If you aren't a griller or are intimated by the grill, I urge you to step outside of your comfort zone and try it! Grab a meat thermometer (if you aren't sure how long to cook the meat for), a glass of wine, and enjoy! It's very satisfying, I'll be honest with you. Stay tuned for great grilling tips :)