Saturday, August 31, 2013

Grilled Lemonade-Basil Marinated Drumsticks -- "Celebrate Summer's End Recipe #1"

Happy Saturday! This evening I made Grilled Lemonade-Basil Marinated Drumsticks for dinner. Years ago I made a recipe for lemonade chicken that was marinated in frozen lemonade concentrate which is extremely sweet and full of sugar. I decided to make a much healthier sugar free version of that marinade for dinner this evening.  I made my own homemade "lemonade concentrate" using Swerve confectioners sweetener and a few drops of stevia to sweeten my concentrate with. Since Swerve has the ability to caramelize like sugar, I used it as the primary sweetener for my "lemonade concentrate" to help caramelize my drumsticks as they grilled. I also wanted to add some fresh summer herb flavor to the marinade, so I picked some fresh basil from my pot on the back patio and added that as well. To go with our chicken, I roasted some fresh baby brussels sprouts after halving them and tossing with avocado oil, sea salt and black pepper. I roasted them at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes (tossing several times) and then squeezed a little fresh lemon juice over them after pulling them out of the oven and tossed them to distribute evenly. I probably only used a teaspoon or so -- just enough to give a hint of lemon flavor. I made the marinade earlier in the afternoon and then let the drumsticks marinate for about 4 to 5 hours. They turned out great -- with a subtle sweet fresh lemony flavor. If you would like an opportunity to win a Weber grill, courtesy of Swerve, during the "Celebrate Summer's End" Celebration...make sure to check out the details at the end of this post. I snapped a few photos below as well as my recipe. Enjoy!







BOOM!

Grilled Lemonade-Basil Marinated Drumsticks

Ingredients:
Zest of 1 lemon (about 2 teaspoons zest)
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 medium sized lemons)
1/4 cup Swerve Sweetener (I used confectioners)
15 drops stevia, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil (I used extra light olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
1-1/2 to 2 lbs chicken pieces (I used drumsticks)

Directions:
In a glass 1-cup measuring cup or small bowl, whisk lemon zest, lemon juice, Swerve, stevia, olive oil, salt and basil until combined.  Pour marinade in a 1 gallon Ziploc-type bag and add chicken; seal, removing as much air as possible, and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours or overnight. 

Grill drumsticks over medium-high heat until done, basting and turning frequently, about 35 minutes (discard any remaining marinade and do not consume). If chicken begins to brown too quickly, move away from direct heat and cook with indirect heat (away from flames).  Larger/thicker pieces such as chicken breast halves may take longer to cook. Cook until done and juices run clear.


Reminder to Enter the Swerve Giveaway!
Contest ends Friday, September 6, 2013 at Midnight EDT (details below)

The kind folks at Swerve recently contacted me and have allowed me to offer Gourmet Girl Cooks' followers a chance to win an exciting "Celebration to Summer's End Giveaway"!  One lucky follower will win a:  Weber 22.5” Silver One-Touch, Kettle Grill AND a Three-Pack of Swerve (see below). As most of you that follow me already know, I have been using Swerve for almost a year now and it is my favorite "zero calorie" natural sweetener to bake with. It tastes great and measures cup-for-cup just like sugar, which makes it super easy to substitute in recipes...no calculations involved! It contains no artificial ingredients and comes in both granular and confectioners (powdered) versions. With the upcoming Labor Day weekend ahead, I will be posting some delicious "end of summer" recipes using Swerve...so stay tuned!  Ready, set....GO!  Begin entering now!

P.S.-- if you are already a Swerve lover like I am, and your supply is getting low...Swerve is currently running a special through Tuesday, September 3rd, for $9.99 each (for a 16-oz bag) or you can grab 6 packs of Swerve for $49.98 ($8.33/each + free shipping). You can click here to grab this special ---> Swerve


HOW TO ENTER:
The winning contestant will be chosen at random (must be a U.S. resident).  To enter a chance to win, all you need to do is: Leave a comment here on my blog and include the words "Swerve BBQ Contest" (1 entry per person per day).  Contest ends Friday, September 6, 2013 at Midnight EDT.  The winner will have 24 hours after being announced to contact Gourmet Girl Cooks (by email at GourmetGirlCooksBlog @ gmail.com) with their shipping address. If no response is received in 24 hours, a new winner will be selected.

*The product provided in this giveaway is contributed by and will be sent directly to the winner by Swerve.

17 comments:

Chris said...

Looks super to me. Hubby is a newish brussel spruts convert and is really a breast man so.......takes convincing. However.....I am super lucky he is willing to try! NO complaints.....happy over 44 years! Even happier wheat-free together.Him 34 or more lbs. gone.....me....about 20. Yes.....jealous but know they lose faster at first.
Still hope to win Swerve BBQ Contest!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Chris! Your comment took me a second to get (about your husband being a breast man)...LOL...then I realized you were talking about CHICKEN...DUH! Actually, I prefer chicken breasts as well but every once in a while, I try to come out of my box a bit and try something different...and sometimes I actually surprise myself! Wow...44 years -- that's amazing! Congratulations to you and your hubby on your weight loss, too. Who knew we could eat so well AND lose weight? I wish I knew this 20 years ago...when I think of all the stupid diets I have tried over the years and all the deprivation and trying to find my "willpower". Ugh. It's like finally seeing the light, isn't it! Hope you are having a nice weekend! :-)

Katie D. said...

SWERVE BBQ CONTEST

unter der laterne said...

Hi GG, my husband and I prefer chicken thighs to chicken breast, they are so flavor full, we also do not eat white turkey meat, just love the dark meat, it is so much juicier! Thank God that we all have different tastes ,LOL.
Your dinner looks succulent and delicious. It is the season for Brussels sprouts , is it not? A powerhouse of minerals and vitamins.

by the way I would love to win the BBQ CONTEST, LOVE MY SWERVE!

Stay cool ! Barbara.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Barbara! Thank you! Yes, it is the season for brussels sprouts and I love them, especially when roasted. I actually bought another bag of them at Costco today -- so I have another bag to use after the ones I prepared this evening...LOL. I bought a huge bag of beautiful lemons, too. Good luck with the contest! :-)

ptstamper said...

Swerve BBQ Contest. Your blog is a wealth of information and more importantly inspiration for eating healthy foods. Thank you.

Unknown said...

My lucky day! We are lemon lovers and actually enjoy drumstick, always looking for new ways to use them. We're a little tired of my same ole Brussel Sprouts recipe, so I'll try yours. I never heard of Swerve until today, but am thrilled to know it exists AND I even gt a chance to win the Swerve BBQ contest?! By the way, the presentation is fabulous, as always.

Unknown said...

Hi GG!

My husband and I have just started living wheat free and are feeling so much better.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your site. I find so many ideas and recipes. An added plus is I also live in GA (Athens) and having recipes that are "local" is great.

Our favorite so far is the cauliflower/parm mash. Hubby could eat the whole bowl by himself :)

Hubby and I like the chicken breast better also and I am going to give this recipe a try this week.

Thank you so much for sharing your site and recipes.

As a side not, I would really like to win the Swerve BBQ Contest :)

Have a great weekend!
Sandy

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, ptstamper!

Thanks so much, Michele. Not sure where you live, but the Whole Foods I shop at here (Atlanta area) carries Swerve. I think if you go to their site, you can also get a free sample to "try before you buy".

Thanks so much for the kind words, Sandy! Welcome to the wheat free world! I can't even describe how much better I feel -- there aren't enough words! Wow, another fellow "Georgian". One of my sons graduated from UGA and lived in Athens for several years. (P.S. -- he isn't too happy this morning either after Georgia lost to Clemson last night).

Good luck to ALL of you in the Swerve BBQ Contest today! :-)

Marjorie said...

SWERVE BBQ CONTEST

Debbie Lou said...

Oh, I'm going to have to try this one. Looks delish and so simple, too! Thanks for all you share. I would love to win the Swerve BBQ Contest.

Deanna Stevens said...

I've enjoyed quite a few of you recipes, good stuff.... please enter me in your "Swerve BBQ Contest"

Jackie A. said...

These drumsticks look so good...I can't wait to try them. Roasting Brussels sprouts seems to be the only way I can get my husband to like them. I can't blame him...I grew up being served over-boiled Brussells sprouts from the little boxes in the freezer section. Roasting brings out their natural goodness.

areta said...

I love your recipes and would love to win the "Swerve BBQ Contest"

Christine Macneil said...

You always make me so hungry! :)
"Swerve BBQ Contest"

Unknown said...

We have made these drumsticks several times and absolutely love them. Once I made the brussel slaw at the same time, but now I cannot find that recipe where did it go?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Kristi -- the only recipe I have for slaw on my blog is one I made before going wheat/free and no added sugar. It was a tri-color slaw so I don't think that is the one you are talking about. I have many different brussels sprouts on my blog but none that are technically a "slaw" -- I wondered though if maybe this one is the one you might have made (it has apple cider vinegar, oil, etc.). Here is the link: http://www.gourmetgirlcooks.com/2012/12/grilled-steaks-brussels-sprout-hash-w.html If that one isn't the one you have made before, I wonder if maybe you found that recipe elsewhere.? Hope this helps. Let me know if this might be the one. :-)