Supper or Dinner?

After a day of errands, shopping, and a bike ride I was ready for an easy, but delicious little supper.

 

Problem Solving ~

I had not planned ahead. My chicken breast was frozen solid. I put my single chicken breast in a plastic ziplock bag, ran my sink full of cold water, and put the chicken bag in the cold water. About 30 minutes later the chicken was thawed. If it hadn't been, I would have changed the water, filling the sink once again with cold water. The trick here, is to use cold water to keep everything safe, allowing no bacteria to grow and multiply. You can easily thaw a pound of ground beef the same way.

Veggies ~

I had familiar vegetables in my fridge, zucchini, red onion, and a variety of peppers. These veggies are readily available right now. Every garden in the area is producing zucchini, so use what you have and what you like. I diced and sliced and had a bowl full of plain veggies. I added about a teaspoon of oil and lightly tossed to coat the vegetables. Now it was time to season. Tonight I used a bit of lemon pepper and a sprinkle of Cavender's Greek seasoning. By now my grill was hot and my grill basket was ready for the vegetables. Simply add the vegetables to the grill basket (mine actually looks like a skillet with holes in the bottom) and shake it to even out the layer. 

I lightly pounded the thick part of the chicken breast, just so it will cook more evenly. I use the flat side of my meat mallet, but for years I used a heavy cast iron skillet since I didn't have a meat mallet. Pound only on the thick part. The goal is to even out the thickness so the thin end isn't overcooked making it dry and tough.

 Chicken ~

I seasoned the chicken with a chile-lime rub that I splurged on at a kitchen store. A little lemon or lime juice with some cumin, ceyenne, salt and pepper mixed in would be similarly tasty. Once the veggies were starting to cook, I added the chicken to the grill. Let it cook until the edges begin to turn light instead of pink. Turn the chicken over and cook until it begins to feel firm. You can use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness, 165 degrees. At this point the chicken will be done, juicy and delicious. Some grapes and iced tea completed my dinner.

What is it?

I realize I have used both the terms supper and dinner in describing this meal. Which is it? I don't know. I grew up eating breakfast, dinner and supper on the farm, but here in town we have lunch midway through the day. I seem somewhat perplexed about the name of the evening meal. I usually call it supper, but what do you call it? And what is the difference? No matter what you call it, enjoy it!