Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad

Summers in the Midwest are absolutely perfect for grilling. Grilled dinners are actually some of my favorite because it’s the closest my husband and I come to ‘couples cooking’. I usually prepare the food (marinade it) and he does the manly ‘grilling’ and feels involved. Recently, we’ve gotten very much into making salads with grilled additions (grilled chicken, grilled fish, etc). This is a semi-traditional Chicken Caesar Salad (except we didn’t use onions since my husband hates them) that is filling and delicious but still healthy. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 roma tomatoes
3 slices country-style bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I omitted this because husband and I aren’t fans of croutons)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6-oz each
1 large head romaine lettuce or 3 hearts of romaine, chopped (we used ‘spring mix’ because it’s what we had on hand)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350-450 degrees) and preheat a grill pan.
In a blender or food processor, pulse the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream until dressing is emulsified.
In a medium bowl toss the tomatoes and bread cubes with 2 tablespoons of the dressing if making croutons.
Pour 2 tablespoons of the dressing over chicken and turn to coat evenly. Marinade 10-20 minutes.
Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill chicken over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is firm to the touch and opaque all the way to the center, 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
During the last 2-3 minutes of grilling, spread the tomatoes and bread cubes in a single layer on the grill pan and cook until the tomatoes start to blister and the bread is toasted, turning occasionally. Remove everything from the grill and let the chicken rest for 3-5 minutes so the juices inside can redistribute. Cut the chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.
In a large bowl toss the lettuce with the dressing a cheese. Divide the salad chicken, tomatoes, and croutons evenly among serving plates. Serve immediately.

Source: Handle the Heat

Salmon with Strawberry and Tomato Salsa

Salmon with Strawberry Tomato Salsa

 

Summer has finally made its way to Michigan! I’m not quite sure what happened to Spring, but we went from frigid 30 degree weather to blistering heat with 90 degree weather and daily thunderstorms. This wouldn’t be so bad if we had a working air conditioning, but given that we don’t, I’ve been able to spend maximum 10  minutes in the kitchen with a hot oven/stove. This recipe is one that I’ve held onto for years (proof of that is that the original blog that I got it from doesn’t even exist any more). It’s a perfect light summer recipe that takes ten minutes to throw together and takes advantage of the delicious strawberries that are on sale right now. Happy summer!

Salmon with Strawberry and Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets
juice of half of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
1/4 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 beefsteak red tomato
1/4 yellow tomato
4 scallions, white and light green portion diced
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp olive oil
drizzle of honey
dash of salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat broiler on low. Line baking sheet with tin foil, folding edges upwards to contain mess.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto tops of each fillet and generously season each with salt and pepper. Place on the bottom rack of the oven (away from broiler) and broil on low to desired doneness, about 10 minutes dependent upon thickness of fillets.
Meanwhile, prep remaining salsa ingredients and combine in medium bowl. Stir to combine and let sit.
Remove salmon from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Using small spatula, remove salmon from skin (skin should stick to the tinfoil and be easy to remove) and place on plate.
Top generously with strawberry and tomato salsa and serve hot

Source: Adapted from Good Things Catered (a blog that unfortunately no longer exists)