Have you ever delighted in the delicious flavor of a piece of grilled chicken the next day right out of the fridge? Or thinly sliced last night's steak for a sandwich? Why not grill food at one time to use all week long? Grill it and keep it sealed in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it! When you grill chicken on Sunday - add an extra package of legs or thighs for week-day lunches. Grill extra chicken breasts to slice for sandwiches or cube into chicken salad. The enhanced flavors of grilling add new dimensions to favorite dishes all week long. How about slices of barbecued chicken thighs with pasta primavera? Or pieces of grilled chicken on homemade pizza?

When you are heading to the park or beach you can cut down on cooking time when you'd rather be playing. A day or two ahead, use your home grill to 'mark' the food by only partially cooking it. Store it in air-tight containers and keep it at safe temperatures. The day of your activity transport it to the park or other location to be finished on a portable grill or camp-fire. This is a technique used by caterers who need to prepare hundreds or even thousands of meals all at the same time. They partially grill the food until it has the classic "grill marks" on the surface and finish it in the oven on site. [I recommend you practice this at home first to get the hang of it and to fully understand what your needs will be for finishing or re-heating on location.]

Any way you look at it - grilled food is a perfect centerpiece of just about any meal! At our house I always make sure to grill a few extra pieces of chicken on Saturday evening to slice for our omelets Sunday morning! I can roast two whole chickens on my rotisserie; I'll use one for a special dinner and take the other to the beach the next afternoon. For tailgate parties or day camping in the mountains I pre-grill chicken wings and heat them up in a pan or skillet with our favorite sauce to serve for snacks.

Grilling is a great way to prepare food and with some pre-planning and 'pre-grilling' you can enjoy great food and more time with your family and friends this summer.

Happy Grilling! - CB

CB is the editor of Sizzle on the Grill - a weekly newsletter and web log sponsored by Char-Broil that features grilling tips, recipes and ideas. You can read more at www.sizzleonthegrill.com.

Everyone has their favorite chicken tender recipe, but most are fried. Why heat up the kitchen when you can have a quick and refreshing chicken sate barbecue lettuce wrap. This recipe brings together two wonderful flavors.

• Rinse and place chicken tenders in a bowl and season liberally with salt
• Pour sate sauce to cover, about ½ bottle
• Place in storage bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight for more flavor
• Remove and skewer chicken tenders on wooden skewer sticks that have been pre-soaked in water
• Prepare grill and brush oil on cooking rack just before adding chicken
• Cook 1-3 minutes per side turning at least once
• Separate lettuce into individual leaves
• Place one chicken skewer in each leaf
• Pour peanut sauce over the chicken and add a few whole peanuts pre-heated in the microwave
• Wrap the lettuce around the sate and pull the skewer out

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