Grilled Lemonade-Basil Marinated Drumsticks -- "Celebrate Summer's End Recipe #1"

Happy Saturday! This evening I made Grilled Lemonade-Basil Marinated Drumsticks for dinner. Years ago I made a recipe for lemonade chicken that was marinated in frozen lemonade concentrate which is extremely sweet and full of sugar. I decided to make a much healthier sugar free version of that marinade for dinner this evening.  I made my own homemade "lemonade concentrate" using Swerve confectioners sweetener and a few drops of stevia to sweeten my concentrate with. Since Swerve has the ability to caramelize like sugar, I used it as the primary sweetener for my "lemonade concentrate" to help caramelize my drumsticks as they grilled. I also wanted to add some fresh summer herb flavor to the marinade, so I picked some fresh basil from my pot on the back patio and added that as well. To go with our chicken, I roasted some fresh baby brussels sprouts after halving them and tossing with avocado oil, sea salt and black pepper. I roasted them at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes (tossing several times) and then squeezed a little fresh lemon juice over them after pulling them out of the oven and tossed them to distribute evenly. I probably only used a teaspoon or so -- just enough to give a hint of lemon flavor. I made the marinade earlier in the afternoon and then let the drumsticks marinate for about 4 to 5 hours. They turned out great -- with a subtle sweet fresh lemony flavor. If you would like an opportunity to win a Weber grill, courtesy of Swerve, during the "Celebrate Summer's End" Celebration...make sure to check out the details at the end of this post. I snapped a few photos below as well as my recipe. Enjoy!

BOOM!

Grilled Lemonade-Basil Marinated Drumsticks

Ingredients:
Zest of 1 lemon (about 2 teaspoons zest)
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 medium sized lemons)
1/4 cup Swerve Sweetener (I used confectioners)
15 drops stevia, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil (I used extra light olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
1-1/2 to 2 lbs chicken pieces (I used drumsticks)

Directions:
In a glass 1-cup measuring cup or small bowl, whisk lemon zest, lemon juice, Swerve, stevia, olive oil, salt and basil until combined.  Pour marinade in a 1 gallon Ziploc-type bag and add chicken; seal, removing as much air as possible, and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours or overnight. 

Grill drumsticks over medium-high heat until done, basting and turning frequently, about 35 minutes (discard any remaining marinade and do not consume). If chicken begins to brown too quickly, move away from direct heat and cook with indirect heat (away from flames).  Larger/thicker pieces such as chicken breast halves may take longer to cook. Cook until done and juices run clear.

Reminder to Enter the Swerve Giveaway!

Contest ends Friday, September 6, 2013 at Midnight EDT (details below)

The kind folks at Swerve recently contacted me and have allowed me to offer Gourmet Girl Cooks' followers a chance to win an exciting "Celebration to Summer's End Giveaway"!  One lucky follower will win a:  Weber 22.5” Silver One-Touch, Kettle Grill AND a Three-Pack of Swerve (see below). As most of you that follow me already know, I have been using Swerve for almost a year now and it is my favorite "zero calorie" natural sweetener to bake with. It tastes great and measures cup-for-cup just like sugar, which makes it super easy to substitute in recipes...no calculations involved! It contains no artificial ingredients and comes in both granular and confectioners (powdered) versions. With the upcoming Labor Day weekend ahead, I will be posting some delicious "end of summer" recipes using Swerve...so stay tuned!  Ready, set....GO!  Begin entering now!

P.S.-- if you are already a Swerve lover like I am, and your supply is getting low...Swerve is currently running a special through Tuesday, September 3rd, for $9.99 each (for a 16-oz bag) or you can grab 6 packs of Swerve for $49.98 ($8.33/each + free shipping). You can click here to grab this special ---> Swerve

HOW TO ENTER:
The winning contestant will be chosen at random (must be a U.S. resident).  To enter a chance to win, all you need to do is: Leave a comment here on my blog and include the words "Swerve BBQ Contest" (1 entry per person per day).  Contest ends Friday, September 6, 2013 at Midnight EDT.  The winner will have 24 hours after being announced to contact Gourmet Girl Cooks (by email at GourmetGirlCooksBlog @ gmail.com) with their shipping address. If no response is received in 24 hours, a new winner will be selected.

*The product provided in this giveaway is contributed by and will be sent directly to the winner by Swerve.