Chicken Pesto Kabobs

Need some new grilling inspiration? Try these simple and flavorful Chicken Pesto Kabobs!

Chicken Pesto Kabobs + learn the difference between charcoal and gas #grills via Chef Julie Harrington, RD @ChefJulie_RD #kabobs #grill #grilling #chicken #pesto #simplerecipe

Fire up the grill! Any grill will do, but there are advantages and disadvantages of using both charcoal or gas grills.

Charcoal vs. Gas Grills – What’s the difference?

Charcoal Grills:

Charcoal grills provide a more distinct smoky flavor along with that amazing backyard aroma. It’s such a tease when I’m running through the neighborhood and all I smell are my neighbors grilling. Scented wood chips or charcoal will add additional flavor. However, charcoal can be a little messy and sometimes tricky to regulate the temperature.

Gas Grills:

Just turn on a switch and your gas grill is fired up and ready to go. You are able to easily regulate the temperature and often gas grills have different settings that you can easily regulate areas of the grill at different temperatures. You won’t really get that smoky flavor, but you are able to cook various items on the grill at the same time.

Chicken Pesto Kabobs + learn the difference between charcoal and gas #grills via Chef Julie Harrington, RD @ChefJulie_RD #kabobs #grill #grilling #chicken #pesto #simplerecipe

I like to create little ribbons for the zucchini to thread on the skewers. Chopped (quartered or in half moons) zucchini works just as fine! I just enjoy the crispy edges of the zucchini ribbons that crisp up from the grilling process.

If you are making zucchini ribbons, just be careful using the mandolin. They can be a tad dangerous. I got into a fight with mine once.

Chicken Pesto Kabobs + learn the difference between charcoal and gas #grills via Chef Julie Harrington, RD @ChefJulie_RD #kabobs #grill #grilling #chicken #pesto #simplerecipe

Grilling is a healthy cooking method

Grilling is a healthy cooking method to prepare your food. It requires minimal added fats and imparts a smoky flavor while keeping meats and veggies juicy and tender.

Recipe shortcut

There is nothing wrong with cooking with convenience. If using prepared pesto this recipe only has 4 ingredients and can be whipped up for a delicious dinner in no time!

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chicken pesto kabobs on a wooden board

Chicken Pesto Kabobs

  • Author: Chef Julie Harrington, RD
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 12 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 12 mins
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Grilling

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 2 zucchini
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 cup pre-made pesto, divided
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large resealable bag, combine chicken and ¾ cup pesto; marinate for 1 hour.
  2. Using a mandolin (or carefully cut with a knife), slice zucchini lengthwise.
  3. Remove chicken from the marinade. Thread the cherry tomatoes, zucchini in a ribbon-like pattern, then chicken. Repeat until skewer is filled.
  4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Add kebobs to grill, cook gently turning halfway through for about 10-12 minutes or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  5. Brust on additional pesto, if desired. Serve immediately.

Keywords: grilling, grill, kabob, chicken, pesto, simple

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Chef Julie Harrington, RD - Culinary Nutrition Consultant of chefjulierd.com

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Chicken Pesto Kabobs + learn the difference between charcoal and gas #grills via Chef Julie Harrington, RD @ChefJulie_RD #kabobs #grill #grilling #chicken #pesto #simplerecipe

This recipe was originally posted in July 2016. Content and recipe have been updated.

Grilled Caesar Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Have you ever tried grilling leafy greens? Try this Grilled Caesar Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing this grilling season. 

Grilled Caesar Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing - try grilling greens for a whole new salad experience via Chef Julie Harrington @ChefJulie_RD #salad #caesarsalad #vegan #vegetarian #caesar #plantbased #dressing #tahini #glutenfree

Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner, but it’s never too early to start firing up the grill. I’ve been all about the grilling scene in the blog world lately.

I started contributing to Luvo’s Fresh Blog and my first article was recently published – A Dietitian’s Guide to Building a Healthier Burger. Check out some nutritious tips for grilling burgers this summer.

Grilled Caesar Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing - try grilling greens for a whole new salad experience via Chef Julie Harrington @ChefJulie_RD #salad #caesarsalad #vegan #vegetarian #caesar #plantbased #dressing #tahini #glutenfree

Then, to my surprise, I was nominated for the Wayfair Healthy Gas Griller Recipe Award, featuring my Chipotle Lime Shrimp Tacos.

While both articles are more about the traditional grilling fare, I tried something a little different – grilling romaine lettuce. I was pleasantly surprised with the results. If you want to try grilling leafy greens, use sturdier greens like romaine, cabbage, etc.

Grilled Caesar Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing - try grilling greens for a whole new salad experience via Chef Julie Harrington @ChefJulie_RD #salad #caesarsalad #vegan #vegetarian #caesar #plantbased #dressing #tahini #glutenfree

The key to this Caesar salad is the toppings. Skip the croutons and top with plant-based fiber packed roasted chickpeas and add creaminess with avocado.

The real star is the dressing! This combination of lemon, hummus, tahini, and the secret ingredient cashews combines to create a thick and creamy dressing, minus the unwanted saturated fats and replacing them with heart-healthy unsaturated fats. 

Grilled Caesar Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing - try grilling greens for a whole new salad experience via Chef Julie Harrington @ChefJulie_RD #salad #caesarsalad #vegan #vegetarian #caesar #plantbased #dressing #tahini #glutenfree

Have you ever tried grilling leafy greens?

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Grilled Caesar Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing on a white platter

Grilled Caesar Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing

  • Author: Chef Julie Harrington, RD
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 5
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2-4 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Grilling
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Have you ever tried grilling leafy greens? Try this Grilled Caesar Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing this grilling season. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large romaine heart, cut in half lengthwise
  • Olive oil spray
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

 

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons garlic hummus
  • 1 tablespoon tahini paste
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in water
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine chickpeas, olive oil, and garlic powder. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place chickpeas on baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
  2. As chickpeas are roasting, preheat grill to high. Spray cut, flat side of romaine hearts and place cut-side down on the grill. Grill for about 1-2 minutes until grill marks appear on lettuce. Flip and grill for an additional minute, to sear. Remove hearts to platter cut sides up.
  3. For dressing, place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.
  4. Drizzle romaine hearts with dressing and top with roasted chickpeas and avocado.
  5. Store extra dressing in an airtight container.

Keywords: Salad, Caesar Salad, Grilling, Romaine, Tahini, Dressing, side dish

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Chef Julie Harrington, RD - Culinary Nutrition Consultant of chefjulierd.com
Grilled Caesar Salad with Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing - try grilling greens for a whole new salad experience via Chef Julie Harrington @ChefJulie_RD #salad #caesarsalad #vegan #vegetarian #caesar #plantbased #dressing #tahini #glutenfree

Grilled Pineapple

Fruit is a great healthy dessert option during the summer. Leave the grill fired up after dinner and kick up the flavor of your fruit by grilling it!
Grilled Pineapple via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenGet your fruits and veggies in shape this summer! With produce galore, now’s a great time to enjoy lots of fruits and vegetables. This is a perfect theme for the Recipe ReDux members to share how we are all serving bounties of gardens and orchards in shapes like ribbons, noodles, cut-outs, or other creative cuts.
Grilled Pineapple via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchen
pineapple corerBuying a whole pineapple at the grocery store is typically way more affordable than the peeled and cored or already diced packages. Cutting a pineapple can be a little tedious and messy in the kitchen, but one kitchen gadget that can help is an all-in-one corer slicer. I have a ton of kitchen gadgets and some may be used only once in a blue moon, but this one is super useful!

Now my shape might not be as exciting as ribbons or noodles, but I cut these perfect rounds in under a minute! No mess, success!
Grilled Pineapple via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenJust one cup of pineapple provides 132% of the recommended intake for vitamin C (an antioxidant vitamin that is required for healthy skin and immune function) and 76% for manganese (plays a role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation).
Grilled Pineapple via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenAdd fun toppings to make it into more of an indulgent dessert. I added vanilla Greek yogurt, sliced almonds and shredded coconut.

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grilled pineapple on a white plate

Grilled Pineapple

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Yield: 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pineapple, cut into thick slices
  • 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
  • 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • (optional toppings) yogurt, sliced almonds, coconut flakes

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
  2. In a large ziplock bag add the marinade and the pineapple slices. Carefully turn bag to coat. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat the grill over medium-high heat. Clean grill grates and place pineapple slices on grill. Brush pineapple slices with remaining marinade.
  4. Cook until both sides are browned with grill marks.
  5. Remove from grill and add optional toppings.

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Supermarket RD’s Pick: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sauce

Fire up the grill! It’s barbecue season. Trim back on added sugars but keep the delicious barbecue flavor with Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce. Learn why Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sauce is #RDapproved making this a Supermarket RD’s Pick.

Supermarket RD's PickEveryone is firing up the grill this season, especially with 4th of July right around the corner. One of the most popular condiments during barbecue season is BBQ sauce.
I recently watched the documentary on Netflix Fed Up, which is about how much added sugar is in all of our every day foods. Being a Registered Dietitian, I am already conscientious of how much added sugar is in products and I try to be mindful myself of how much added sugar I consume daily.
Along with beverages, some of the biggest culprits are condiments. With a small serving size, typically around 2 tbsp, they add up when tend to dress all your meals with condiments.
I was comparing a few BBQ sauces and one on the shelf (I won’t say any names) has 18 grams of sugar in just two tablespoons!

Supermarket RD's Pick: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenGo for the Sensuous Slathering Bar-B-Que Sauce for a classic barbecue flavor.

Supermarket RD's Pick: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenTry the Roasted Garlic Honey Bar-B-Que sauce flavor for a hint of sweetness.

Supermarket RD's Pick: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenOr opt for the Wango Tango Bar-B-Que sauce if you like a kick of heat.

With just 5 grams of sugar per serving, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce is a better for you choice this grilling season! Looking for recipe for the grill? Try some of these!
Confetti Turkey Burgers - An easy way to sneak in veggies via RDelicious Kitchen @rdkitchenConfetti Turkey Burger via RDelicious Kitchen

Screen Shot 2015-06-24 at 12.05.40 AMPork Tenderloin Medallions  via Prevention RD

slice-of-bbq-chicken-pizza10 minute Crispy Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza via Jessica Gavin

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 Disclosure: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sauce did not sponsor this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own to share healthy items found in your grocery store to RDelicious Kitchen readers.