Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

About 8 oz. lean bacon, NOT thick-sliced (thick bacon is too hard to work with in this recipe)

1 large can pineapple chunks (you won’t use all of them)...I prefer fresh pineapple chunks.

Teriyaki sauce

Kebab skewers or toothpicks

Directions:

The easiest way to handle the bacon situation is to remove it from the package and while it's still all stuck together, stretch it out a little (lengthwise). If you're using center-cut bacon (and the "slab" is not as wide as regular bacon), just cut it in half. Otherwise, use kitchen shears to cut the slab into thirds. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Using kitchen shears, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can gauge about how many pieces you'll need by how many pieces of bacon you have; you probably won't use all the bacon, but you'll need about 8 oz. or 2/3 of a standard-sized package of bacon.

Drain the pineapple and set up a little work station with skewers, bacon, chicken, and a 9x13 baking dish (for big skewers) or a sturdy Ziploc bag (for toothpick skewers). Wrap a piece of bacon around a chicken piece, secure with toothpick/skewer, and top with a chunk of pineapple. Repeat twice if using large skewers.

When all chicken pieces have been sufficiently staked, pour Teriyaki sauce over everything, reserving about 1/4 c., and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, no longer than about 8.

Preheat grill; when about 350-400 degrees, place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki sauce. Cook about 7 minutes and flip skewers. Baste again and cook another 7 minutes.

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Baked Cinnamon Chips with Fruit Salsa...Yum!

Ingredients and Directions for Baked Cinnamon Chips:

Ingredients:

Flour Tortillas (I like the little 6″ ones)
Melted Butter
Cinnamon Sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Lightly brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter.

3. Sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar.

4. Use a pizza cutter to cut those tortillas into wedges. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet and bake them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. You’ll see them crisp up. Watch for the edges to turn up.

5. Remove from oven and let cool.

Ingredients and Directions for Fruit Salsa:

1. Choose Your Fruit:

Red: Strawberries hold up really well, they’re usually inexpensive, and everyone loves strawberries. But watermelon, raspberries or pomegranate seeds would be fun too.

Orange: Mango is my top choice. I usually put in a higher ratio of mangoes to other fruit. Peaches, nectarines, or orange segments would work.

Yellow: Pineapple! Fresh is best, but in a pinch, open up a can. Nectarines and peaches could constitute as yellow as well.

Green: LOVE the bright color and great texture of kiwi in fruit salsa. Honeydew can also be used.

Blue/Purple: Blueberries or blackberries, whichever is cheaper! Slice blackberries in half.

2. Choose Your Sweetener:

Honey: I love the flavor of honey with fruit. I usually add a little no matter what.

Powdered Sugar: It dissolves fast and gives a light sweetness.

Brown Sugar: Takes longer to dissolve but adds an interesting flavor, much deeper flavor than white sugar.

Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar is used most often. It tastes good and makes a nice syrup with the fruit juices.

Agave Nectar: If you want to use an alternative sweetener, you could try Agave Nectar (very low on the glycemic index if that concerns you) or a natural herbal sweetener like Stevia.

3. Choose Your Extras:

You don’t want to do all of these together; pick and choose!

Lime Juice: I always add lime juice. Just a few big squeezes. The fruit will give off a lot of juice so you don’t want to add too much additional liquid, but a few squeezes of tangy lime juice adds a great flavor and makes it nice and tropical tasting.

Cinnamon: A few dashes of cinnamon goes great with the cinnamon chips.

Mint: I love a little chopped fresh mint in my fruit salsa. It reminds me of cilantro in regular salsa and makes everything so fresh tasting. But beware, a little goes a long way and if you add too much it will really overpower the taste of your yummy fruit.

Coconut: shredded coconut is especially yummy when you have tropical fruits like pineapple and mango in your salsa. Sprinkle some on top or stir it in, but either way do it just before serving or it will get all soggy.

Toasted Coconut: If you’re taking this to a party, then add some toasted coconut on top for great presentation. People will go wild over it!

Ginger: A little fresh ginger would be great!

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