no. 149: 🍋WHOLE LEMON🍋 marinated grilled chicken and cabbage

Plus, my Old Navy picks!

I have not done a This Shit Rocks product round-up for a couple weeks, and that is mostly because I’m trying to be a bit more conservative with my spending these days—a new ACL is tragically more expensive than one might think.

That said, I went completely balls to the WALL when I realized that Old Navy and Gap are both having sales right now. I could use a little spring refresh, TBH. The thing about Old Navy is that one second you have a few t-shirts and maybe a tank top in your cart and the next you have 26 items on the way to you. How does that happen?

I had to re-up myself on their snug crop t-shirt ($12), which is known to the closest people around me as my uniform because I wear it everyday. I have a mix of colors and I even have a variety of mediums and larges, depending on what my vibe is that day. The shirt is cozy, and it is the only t-shirt that I believe hits me at the proper length. Did I mention THERE’S A TANK VERSION ($10)? Do with that what you will.

I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but the Gap Mid Rise Barrel Pant will change you fundamentally as a person. I mean, look at what it has done to me. These pants are so flattering and comfy. I’m wearing the larger of my pant sizes here and it’s perfect. I have the black, green, and soon the khaki. Need it in an off white, TBH!

I also love this long sleeve activewear top from Old Navy. Who can resist a good thumbhole, amiright? I went ahead and got a short sleeve version, too. These are my fav sleep shorts ($7), which just so happen to be a Skims dupe—sorry, Kimmy girl. We must not forget this racerback sports bra, which I famously wore while I RAN THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON. Remember that? Yeah. Lululemon can legitimately kick rocks.

This red leather belt found its way into my cart, at which point I had probably been on the site for hours—my whole body numb, eyesight blurred, nearing a state of complete blackout. And if you thought I was going to checkout without this 3-pack of TENNIS SOCKS, you would be regrettably mistaken.

WHOLE Lemon Marinated Grilled Chicken and Cabbage

Serves: 4-6

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes plus 1 hour marinating

We continue with my series, Grilled Chicken Recipes That Don’t Suck, and this week’s iteration is scary good. I’ve taken my love of using the whole lemon, rind and all (see this marinated grilled zucchini, this orzo salad, and this kale pasta) and used it as a marinade and sauce.

The acidity of the lemon makes for the perfect ingredient to both tenderize the protein as it sits, while also working as a bright, herbaceous condiment to serve alongside the dish.

If your lemons feel particularly pith-heavy, you can always remove some of it, but a little pith only adds a subtle, tasty bitterness. Make sure you give ‘em a rinse before you use them. Your sauce should taste super bright and punchy—that’s the whole point of using whole citrus.

Since we’re making the marinade and firing up the grill, it only seemed right to get a vegetable in the mix to make it a meal. I had a head of cabbage bumming around in my fridge, so I used that, but zucchini (maybe wait ‘til the summer months), asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, or whatever vegetables you like to grill would all work just fine here, as well.

I like using skin-on chicken breasts because I love charred, nearly burnt skin on the grill, but skinless works just fine, too. The first time I tested this recipe, I used a whole, spatchcocked chicken that I let marinate for the full 48, and it was truly sensational.

I re-tested with breasts because I feel like it reads slightly more attainable, but I encourage you to use your chicken parts of choice. Thighs, legs, wings, skin on or skin off, bone-in or boneless—it’s all good in my book. If you have the foresight to make the marinade ahead of time, more power to you, though I wouldn’t let it go for longer than 2 days. The meat will only get juicier, more flavor, and more tender as it sits.

If you’re uneasy about cooking chicken, a meat thermometer is a great tool to keep on hand. With enough practice, you’ll get better at the finger test, but better to err on the side of caution, especially if you’re working with particularly thicker cuts of meat.