Weeknight Dinner :: BBQ Chicken with Grilled Radicchio & Green Bean Salad

On Saturday in Tahoe, the plan was barbecue chicken, smashed roasted potatoes and a big veg salad.  Then the power went out on our block and so we switched the potatoes to the grill and same with the summer squash – nixing the salad that would be easiest made in the kitchen. But then, the propane ran out while the chicken was only not close to done.  Half-cooked chicken is not exactly salvageable, so we scratched it all and walked down the street to dinner.

But the barbecue chicken hankerin’ has remained.

So last night I quickly grilled chicken thighs, painting on a bit of BBQ sauce at the end, just to caramelize. It was fast, easy and just what we were looking for in the weeknight version.

As for the salad, while the chicken was grilling, I added radicchio quarters to the heat, removing once they were nicely grilled on all sides. A quick blanch for the green beans, plus a basic shallot-red wine vinaigrette, made a little richer with the slightest splash of cream, toasted pinenuts, and we were just about there.  Once those elements were tossed together, I finished it with basil and goat cheese. It was one of those things that came together on the fly, but will most definitely be added to the regular rotation.

Not quite as fun as the outdoor grilled version while sitting lakeside, but was a pretty close second.