“Less is more” is one of my favorite sayings. If you have been following my food stories, you will have heard me say it before. We have been getting some sunny days lately, so now is a great time to pull the grill back out — even though I grill in the cold, too.
Sometimes a meal only needs one side dish, quicker prep time, and less money spent.
Recently, I found some zucchini on sale. It looked and smelled so good, it came home with me. (Yes, people, smell your veggies and fruit — don’t knock it till you try it.) I was worried my son wouldn’t like zucchini, but we gave it a shot.
Lately, I have been seasoning my chicken and letting it marinate for 1 to 2 days. The flavor has been incredible, and if you have the time to plan ahead, I highly recommend it. I’ll give you a quick simple rub. It’s not my secret barbecue rub recipe, but it’s still yummy. (For my signature BBQ rub, you’ll have to catch me at an event like the Wampanoag Powwow in Aquinnah in September.)
Ingredients for rub
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoom cumin
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Get the chicken seasoned with the rub nicely on both sides, then let it marinate in the fridge for two days. I used bone-in chicken thighs, but you can use the cut you’d like. Take the chicken out of the fridge an hour before you plan to grill. While you prep, you should definitely get the grill heated up. Slice the zucchini in half longways, then make criss-cross cuts in the flesh that don’t go through all the way. Please go slow, and be careful, chef. Next, you’ll want to drizzle the zucchini with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
If you can, I suggest having a hot side of the grill and a cool side. The reason for this is that you can get a good char on the hot side and then finish the chicken on the cool side with a cover. If you’re a BBQ sauce enthusiast, you can add your favorite store-bought sauce to the top of the chicken, for the last 5 to 10 minutes. Grill the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°. Take the chicken off the grill and let it rest while you grill the zucchini. Grill your veg on hot until you get your desired color on both sides. Don’t leave the grill, because zucchini doesn’t take very long. Once it’s done, head inside, and voilà, BBQ Rub Chicken and Grilled Zucchini.
Oh, and my son definitely enjoyed the zucchini!