As part of our "When I Was Broke" episode, "The Chew" fan favorite Carla Hall stopped by the show to whip up the three foodie-worthy dishes you can make on a tight budget. A fraction of the cost, but ALL the favor.
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup water
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow squash, halved, thinly sliced
- ½ small sweet onion, halved, thinly sliced
- ½ cup prepared barbecue sauce, plus more for basting
- 1½ pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 8-10 long wooden skewers, soaked in salted water
- 2 ears fresh corn, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
- 1½ small sweet onions, cut into 12 wedges with root end attached
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
For the quick pickles, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Place cucumber, squash and onions into a large bowl. Pour 1¾ cups vinegar mixture over vegetables. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then spoon into a jar. Set the remaining 1 cup aside to cool.
For the chicken, combine the cooled pickling liquid with the barbecue sauce in a large resealable plastic bag with the chicken pieces. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the marinade. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Thread chicken onto 3-4 skewers.
For the vegetables, sprinkle the corn and onion wedges with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Divide the onions among the skewers.
Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Place all the kebabs and corn rounds on the grill and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes per side, but check for doneness, cooking for longer if necessary to cook through. Brush the pieces of chicken with additional barbecue sauce just before removing from the grill. Serve on a platter with quick pickles on the side.
Grant's BBQ-in-Minutes Sandwich
