photo by togood2b4gotton

Backyard grilling is a great break from using the oven, which heats up the kitchen during the warmer months. My husband is the grillmaster, so I get to simply watch and supervise, or, as I like to call it, help. One of my favorite grilled meals is chicken kabobs. They cook quickly and pack a lot of flavor into each bite. Kabobs are versatile, too. I can quickly add family favorites to the skewers, such as mushrooms, pineapple, bell peppers, tomatoes or potatoes. Add a sweet and tangy salad, and dinner is done in no time at all.

Chicken Kabobs

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 to 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
4 to 5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the chicken. Place cubed chicken in the bowl and stir with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and toss the marinade.
Grill kabobs for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. Serves 5

Fruit Cole Slaw

3 cups chopped cabbage
1 red apple, unpeeled, cored and chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored and chopped
1 handful of grapes or raisins (or substitute cranberries)
1 handful of chopped walnuts
1 small can of pineapple chunks with juice
1 carrot, grated
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
1 tablespoon vinegar, or to taste

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, apples, grapes or raisins, walnuts, pineapple chunks, carrot and green onions. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, brown sugar, lemon juice and vinegar. Pour dressing over salad and mix.
Serves 5

Lemon Poke Cake

1 (18.25-ounce) package lemon cake mix
1 (3-ounce) package lemon-flavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 (8-ounce) container thawed whipped topping

Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for a 9-by-13-inch pan. Poke holes in cake with wooden spoon handle while it’s still hot.

In a medium bowl, make gelatin with only 1 cup boiling water. Pour liquid gelatin over cake while hot. Cool cake completely.

In a medium bowl, make vanilla instant pudding with only 1 cup milk. Stir in vanilla and lemon extract. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over cake. Refrigerate cake for 1 hour before serving.
Serves 18

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