RECIPE: Peach Glazed Grilled Chicken

In my life I always find that actions speak much louder than words and apparently this applies to my blog as well.  I keep saying I'm back, but then months go by and there's no sign of life around here.  Well, I think 2 posts in one week officially means I have returned.  This is evident not only in my blog, but in my surroundings and activities as well.  I did not realize until this week how deep a hiatus I had taken from myself and my life.  I slowly started working in my garden again and there it was- ocd all over again.  I think it's been lurking somewhere all along, I had just not engaged in the activities where my desire for perfection so prevalent.  Not resting until whatever it is I'm doing is finished is I think more gratifying to me than it probably should be.  But, this is the little thing that drives me and makes me who I am, and while I am half way kidding about the ocd thing, rising to a challenge and making something better than it was before gives me immense satisfaction.  Cooking, gardening, writing about it... that's what was missing- I'm all good now.

  Add to that my new little blue grill and posting becomes barely an effort.  In addition, I also have recruited a fellow cook, Arthur.  But cooking isn't why I'm introducing him to you, although he has made an asparagus recipe contribution- next post.  Arthur is a photographer for the local newspaper, he loves to cook and the bonus is my photos are about to get a whole lot better- he will be taking them.  I still get to set everything up and play with the food, which for me is half the fun,  but I wont spend an hour on picassa making my tomatoes not look like they glow in the dark! 

Yesterday after working in the garden- and I mean WORKING in the garden, I took a little break and read the June issue of Gourmet magazine cover to cover.  In it I found a great recipe for BBQ chicken wings with a peach glaze.  I am not a fan of wings, so I adapted the recipe to grilled chicken breasts.  I actually changed the recipe quite a bit, it really doesn't resemble the original at all.  But, it certainly led me to my end result and after all this is the reason my mailbox is always full of cooking magazines- inspiration.  If you are a fan of wings, you might want to take a look at the original, it's in the fast cook section of the magazine.

I have been cooking food on the grill for a long time, but only recently have I personally had to actually prepare the grill for cooking.  This process has had a bit of a learning curve and this is what I've learned this week: Grills are hot, timing is everything, and the type of coals you use make a big big difference.  When I master the process- and I will, I 'll post about that and my many little mishaps.  

On to the chicken... oh, and P.S. I did warn about the grill craze.

Peach Glazed Grilled Chicken

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

1 cup peach jam

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup water

3" piece fresh ginger, peeled

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Place garlic and ginger in the bowl of a food processor,  pulse until finely chopped.  Add jam, soy sauce, pepper, and water.  Process until all ingredients are combined.

2. Wash and pat chicken dry with a paper towel.  Place breasts in a small bowl and cover with marinade, leaving some marinade aside to baste chicken while grilling.

3. Prepare grill while chicken marinates, about 30 minutes.  Cook over medium hot coals for 10-15 minutes on each side, moving chicken to cooler side of grill once charr marks are made.  Brush additional marinade on chicken while cooking.