GRILLED MEDITERRANEAN SUMMER SALAD
This week’s recipe is right out of the sunny Mediterranean, it’s light, healthy and full of flavor with a smokey hint from the grilled vegetables and chicken. The original recipe included a creamy dill and yogurt dressing. Having tried this version I much prefer a lighter more traditional dressing including fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar and a good quality olive oil (in my opinion the best Italian oils are made in Puglia and the best Greek made in Crete). When cooking Mediterranean simplicity of preparation and use of good quality ingredients should always be supreme.
This recipe goes great with grilled meats, poultry, fish or seafood, ideal for those summer BBQ”s……..Enjoy!
Original recipe courtesy of www.thecozyapron.com
Ingredients:
8 ounces any “twisty” style of pasta, uncooked
2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, butterflied in half to create 4 thinned cutlets
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
2 small zucchini, quartered and cut into ¼”- ½” thick pieces
2 small yellow squash, quartered and cut into ¼” – ½” thick pieces
½ small eggplant, quartered and cut into ¼” – ½” thick pieces
1 cup small cherry tomatoes, halved
• Lemon Olive Oil Vinaigrette (recipe below)
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh dill, basil or flat leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
Preparation:
-Prepare the pasta according to package instructions; drain well and lightly oil, then turn out into a large bowl and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.
-Prepare the chicken cutlets by sprinkling them with a few pinches of salt and pepper; place a large grill pan over medium-high heat and add about 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil in, and once the oil is hot, add the chicken and grill for roughly 2-3 minutes per side, or until the chicken in golden and cooked through; set the chicken aside on a plate, and once cool enough to handle, slice into very thin strips; set aside, keeping it warm.
-To grill the veggies, place the same grill pan onto medium-high heat, and add in about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; once the oil is hot, add in about half of the zucchini and squash, and do not move it in order to allow it to brown/caramelize and grill for about 3 minutes; sprinkle with some salt and pepper; then, toss them over and allow them to grill/caramelize on the other side, as well; turn them out onto a plate or bowl and keep warm, and repeat the process with the remainder of the zucchini/squash.
-Next, add another 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to the grill pan, and add the eggplant into the pan along with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper; allow the eggplant to caramelize and grill, like the zucchini/squash did, for a few moments on each side, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking; once golden brown and soft, turn out into the same bowl/plate as the zucchini/squash, keeping it warm.
-Grill the tomatoes in the grill pan last, with a touch more oil if necessary, and a pinch of salt and pepper, for about 1-2 minutes, just to warm them through and lightly char/blister their skins; add them to the other veggies to hold. Toss in the vinaigrette
Lemon Vinaigrette
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup good quality of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic choipped finely
fresh or dried oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
Whisk all together in a bowl
