I have agonized over the last few weeks what my first posting on this blog would be (almost as much as I agonized what I would call it). But, following a weekend of margaritas, Mexican food, Easter candy, & ham, I think it appropriate to share what we are eating this week. It makes perfect sense to use this as a starting point because it is essentially what I ate all last summer as I worked toward my weightloss goal. In an effort to lose that "puffy" feeling I know all too well right now, we are eating grilled chicken, greens, and a simple, but yummy vinaigrette. (Maybe I should clarify: this is what I am eating, everyone else in my household is eating regular food!)
I have found over the last year every way imagineable to cook chicken. Chicken thighs, chicken breasts, whole chicken, chicken sausage, ground chicken, and the list goes on....but my favorite has to be grilled chicken breast atop a bed of leafy greens with a nice vinaigrette and maybe a few add-ins if I have been good or worked really hard. The truth is I love it and could eat some version of this every day. So, this may be more of a lesson in grilling chicken breasts and assembling salads than a recipe, but I hope you'll find it useful anyway. I'll include some tips on grilling vegetables, the vinaigrette recipe, and what I would add to make this salad suitable for entertaining!
Grilled Chicken Breast & Asparagus Salad
For the grilled chicken:
Before preparing the chicken, I like to preheat my gas grill to about 400 degrees. Personally, I don't like to take a lot of time to cook things on the grill. I prefer to cook meat (especially chicken breasts) at a high temp and quickly, my theory is that they don't dry out so much. Other people, you know who you are, like to cook things low and slow--this doesn't work for me in this instance. But by all means, do what works for you!
Let me mention, though, that if I am cooking chicken breasts, I always cook more than what I need for one meal so that I can add them to a salad for lunch the rest of the week or use as a stand in for a quick snack or even breakfast.
Put the chicken breasts on a cutting board and trim (using a really sharp knife) the fat on the sides. Flip the breast over and remove (if possible) the little tendon that runs through the middle of the breast. Then, butterfly the breast so that it will cook evenly. To do this, make a cut in the thicker part (in the center of the breast) and fold outward. After I've done this, I cover the chicken breast with plastic wrap and pound it out to an even thickness. (Martha Stewart would call this a paillard).
Then, season the chicken with your favorite seasoning blend and it is ready for the grill. I am loving the McCormick Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt right now (I love the little silver tin it is packaged in--cool packaging gets me every time) but if you are watching your sodium try the Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb or Tomato-Basil blends and season with reduced sodium salt and pepper.
After the chicken is on the grill, prepare the asparagus.
Wash the asparagus and trim the ends off, pat dry with a paper towel. I like skinny, baby asparagus. Spray the asparagus with Pam and sprinkle with reduced sodium salt. If I am grilling asparagus to use as a side and not in a salad that will have dressing, I like to use a flavored oil, like roasted walnut oil*, instead of Pam (just a teaspoon or two), but both are delicious. After the chicken is cooked, place the asparagus on the grill and cook until just browned, flipping if necessary. Don't leave the asparagus alone, it will go quickly.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Mix 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, and 1 garlic clove together in a medium sized bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar* and juice of one large lemon. Then, gradually whisk in 1 cup olive oil. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs (whatever you have on hand-this time I used chives and basil). In a pinch substitute 2 teaspoons dried herbs.
Note: If you are really watching carbs, etc. a drizzle of good olive oil and a nice aged balsamic vinegar* will substitute for the vinaigrette.
To assemble your salad, take 1 cup mixed greens, top with 6-10 stalks grilled asparagus, and 4 ounces grilled chicken. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette.
For entertaining, arrange 1-2 cups of greens per person on a large serving tray. Top with grilled asparagus, fresh sauteed corn (cut corn off the cob and saute in olive oil-seasoned with kosher salt), sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, and feta cheese. Add 2-3 ounces grilled chicken per person and serve the dressing on the side.
*My favorite source for great aged balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and assorted flavored oils is The Oilerie (www.oilerie.com)--check it out. We found this when we were living in Wisconsin and vacationing in Door County. It's a great store where you can taste oils and vinegars before you buy them but they also offer online shopping with superb customer service and some of the best aged balsamic vinegar I have ever tasted.
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