Chicken and Tomato Skewers with Watermelon Feta Salad

Until I was about 22, I was a horrific cook. Not just not good, but certifiably bad. My mother and sister are still traumatized from the Garlic Scrambled Eggs Incident of 1999.

Happily, I can now hold my own in the kitchen -- quite nicely, if I do say so myself. I can saute, bake, pan fry, broil, simmer, roast with the best of them. I think that my love of eating food (all food) inspired me to just keep on cookin' it until eventually it started to suck a tiny bit less and every small victory inspired just enough confidence that I'd slowly became less and less freaked out by the whole production. Confidence is key! (Deep thoughts by Laura.) I'm no chef, but I've come a long way from those eggs.

But put me out on the patio with a grill, and all bets are off. I do not have enough practice under my belt (fire-proof apron?) to keep my cool when faced with a raging fire that's hellbent on eating my flank steak before I do or the patience to help along a little flame that refuses to help a chicken breast up and out of the salmonella  range.

I seriously considered chucking a drumette off the balcony the other day. #grillingproblems

So all in all, I'd say my current grilling ratio is about 50/50.

I'm pleased to report that this little dinner was solidly in the good 50%, and you can rest assured that means that it's not just good, but really, really easy. Light, summery, flavorful, and all done in about 25 minutes. Cheers!

Grilled Chicken and Tomato Skewers

1. Cut chicken into 1" cubes and marinate at least an hour in olive oil, lemon juice, herbs (I used garlic and oregano), salt and pepper
2. Prepare grill - light, clean, and use a grill spray or lightly oil the grates
3. Skewer chicken and tomatoes, alternating until each skewer is full with about an inch or two of space at the end
4. Grill until chicken is cooked through and tomatoes are slightly blistered, rotating once to ensure even char
5. Tent the chicken on a plate to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving

Watermelon and Feta Salad

1. Cube watermelon and feta and place atop arugula. 
2. Drizzle with balsamic glaze (plain balsamic would work just fine!), sprinkle with salt and pepper