Dinner Tonight

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Homemade BBQ sauce
Garbanzo and Fennel Salad
Lettuce Wedge with Blue Cheese dressing
Watermelon Chunks

Tonight is all about fresh, easy, and outdoor dining! While my honey grilles the chicken I will throw together the salads and...walaaa.... dinner is served in no time.

I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I have made my own BBQ sauce for years and have included the recipe below. It is so much more economical and I like the taste better.

The Garbanzo Bean salad is a matter of personal taste. Some people don't like the bean (also known as chickpeas). But try this recipe, it may change your mind (If you really object, just make a few bake potatoes instead...this will keep the dinner easy) This recipe can be made a day ahead of time too.

Garbanzo and Fennel Salad
2 cans Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas- drained
1 Fennel Bulb (it looks like a root with fern like fronds on it)
1/4 onion (any color but red onion makes it look better)
2 stalks celery
1 med size red apple cored (leave the peel on)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Chop all the veggies, and apple, above in thin bite size slices and pieces. On the Fennel Bulb .... you want to slice thin and discard the very end and core that may be too thick. Also chop up fine about 1/4 cup of the green fronds- it gives the salad a little more licorice flavor and also more eye appeal.

Toss all together in the following dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin is best for dressings)
1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 Splenda
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 t salt
1 t cracked black pepper

(You can also just use a nice tangy sweet white balsamic vinegar with olive oil, or store bought light Italian or balsamic herb salad dressing in a pinch).

Let the salad marinate for at least 30 minutes. You will have leftovers with this recipe and it gets better the longer it sits. This is a great potluck-picnic recipe as it needs to only be kept cool, but not refrigerated. Just a note... my dad (who hates veggies) loves this salad.

Homemade BBQ Sauce Sweet and Hot
2 cups ketchup
1 1/4 cup brown sugar (white is OK..Splenda is OK but may turn a little funky on the grill)
1/2 cup Worchestire sauce
2T Tabasco sauce (more or less depending on how hot you like it)
1 T garlic powder
1 t salt
1 T cracked black pepper
1 T liquid Smoke (you can usually find this in the same section as worchestire sauce in the store)

Mix all ingredients together and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes to melt the sugar. That's all there is to it.

If you want a tangier style BBQ sauce- cut the sugar back to about 1 cup and add about 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard.

Lettuce Wedge Salad

1 head iceburg lettuce cored and cut into 4 wedges
Blue Cheese dressing (buy the good stuff loctaed in the refrigerator section of the store- don't buy the bottled stuff. Marie Callender's is a good brand as is Trader Joes).
Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles
Bacon crumbled (I get the real bacon bits from Smart and Final. It comes in a huge bag and lasts for a long time. It is real bacon and is nice for many dishes that need a little smokey flavor)
Tomato wedges

Place the wedge of lettuce on the plate. Drizzle Blue cheese dressing over it. Sprinkle cheese and bacon bits. Add tomato wedges on the side.