In recent years, TV cooks, chefs and publishers have come to realize that many people do not want to spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen. This is especially true during the midweek and summer months.
I think the first person who started this trend was Food Network star Rachel Ray with her “30 Minute Meals.” Martha Stewart publishes a magazine with simple, everyday recipes called “Everyday Food.” Jacques Pepin puts a French spin on quick food with “Fast Food My Way.” Until now, the concept of spending less time cooking has been ignored in grilling.
Many people like the flavor of grilled food. Gas and charcoal grills need anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to heat before they are ready. Take into consideration the time it takes to grill most foods. About 45 minutes to an hour could pass before your meal is ready for the table. Many people want their meals on the table in a short period of time. This is probably why grilling is considered a weekend cooking method. Grillers prepare their favorite directly and indirectly grilled foods when they can dedicate the time to it.
The idea I am proposing this week is a radical new idea, which combines the flavor of grilling with the concept of quick-to-the-table recipes. For this new concept to work, you need to do a little advanced planning and have plenty of room on the grill. I am calling this concept “multitask grilling.”
When you grill extra food, it is more than just leftovers. Grilled food can truly become a brand-new dinner a day or two after it was originally grilled. Additionally, with the extra planning I mentioned, a completely different dinner for the next day or two can be grilled at the same time as your present-day meal. The pre-grilled food only needs to be heated through when you are serving a hot meal.
For an example of how the multitask grilling concept works, let’s recall for a moment our Mother’s Day recipe for Real Lemon Pepper Chicken. The grilled chicken from this recipe makes fantastic grilled Chicken Fajitas.
The chicken is prepared according to the recipe. However, make a little extra lemon pepper marinade, and add about an extra pound to pound and a half of chicken, either breast or pieces.
As some of the cooked chicken comes off the grill, add a thick-sliced onion and a whole bell pepper or pasilla peppers to the grill. For preparing these vegetables, rub them with a little bit of vegetable or olive oil, sprinkle with salt and grill. The vegetables should only take about 7-10 minutes to grill and have the same great smoky flavor as the chicken. Since everything is cooked, the time to make the next meal is greatly reduced. Refrigerate the extra chicken and vegetables until you are ready to have your fajitas.
When you are ready to have your fajitas, remove the chicken and vegetables from the refrigerator, and finish the meal preparation. If the chicken is on the bone, remove the bones and shred or cut the chicken into pieces. Cut the onions into quarters. The natural layers of onion will separate.
Slice the pepper into strips. Add a little vegetable oil to a heated skillet and add the chicken and vegetables. Saute until the chicken and vegetables start to warm, add a little of your favorite salsa and finish heating.
Quick meals with great grilled flavor can be easily prepared. Just a little bit of advanced planning and a few extra steps can mean the difference between a great dinner from the grill or another night of take-out food. When there is another instance when a recipe can be a multitask grilled recipe, I will make a special note of it and share the recipe or technique. This week’s recipe is for Grilled Chicken Fajitas using the multitask grilling method.
