Recipe; Mediterranean Chicken Salad (outdoor grilling)

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

SALAD:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimed
White wine marinade (recipe to follow)
1 lb. small red potatoes
1/2 lb. slender green beans, trimmed
vegetable oil cooking spray
12 to 14 cherry tomatoes, halved or left whole, depending on size
2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon, for garnish

VINIAGRETTE:
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tsp. chopped shallots
2 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
four to six 12-inch metal skewers

WHITE WINE MARINADE:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup tarragon white wine vinegar
1 TBSP chopped fresh tarragon or chervil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl until blended. Adjust seasonings. Use according to the recipe, or cover and refrigerate for as long as two days.

1. Place the chicken in a single layer in a shallow glass or ceramic dish and pour the marinade over it, turning a few times to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and as long as 6 hours.
2. Put the potatoes in a saucepan and add cold water to cover by several inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes just until fork tender. Drain and cool. Do not overcook.
3. Blanch the green beans in boiling water to cover for about 1 minute. Drain and cool.
4. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Lightly spray the grill rack with vegetable cooking spray. The coals should be moderately hot.
5. To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, shallots, mustard, and tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
6. Lift the chicken from the marinade. Discard the marinade. Grill the chicken for 12 to 16 minutes, turning several times, until cooked through. Slice into thin strips.
7. Thread the potatoes on metal skewers and grill for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. Cut into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Transfer to a bowl and toss with about 5 TBSP of vinaigrette.
8. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, toss the green beans with 3 or 4 TBSP of vinaigrette. In another bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes with 3 or 4 TBSP of vinaigrette.
9. Assemble the salad by spreading the green beans on a platter. Top the beans with the potatoes and then the chicken. Arrange the tomatoes around the chicken and sprinkle the salad with tarragon. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the salad and serve.

Recipe Source: "Prime Time/The Lobel's Guide to Great Grilled Meat" by Evan, Leon, Stanley, and Mark Lobel.

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Recipe; Curry Chicken

I did go back and look at Robert's Home Recipes, and found what I plan to cook tonight. I think I will link Robert's Home Recipes at this blog, because it looks like I may want to visit those recipes again. British and uses different measures than we use here, but I think I can wing it and adapt.

Both Sweetie and I like the tangy taste of curry recipes - Mediterranean style cooking, and I want to build healthy recipes indexing to include Thai and Mediterranean. It might be easier to have a Mediterranean category than to break it down to Lebanese, Greek, Iraq, etc. Yes, I did have the experience of having Iraqis cook their ethnic food for us, and it was beautiful to look at and most tasty to eat. I don't know if that was their top of the line recipes they prepared for us as guests or their normal range of recipes, but it was a wonderous culinary experience.

Easy Curry Chicken

300-400 grams chicken cut into chunks
1 large white onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
8 fl.oz (240ml) chicken stock
28 oz (796ml) can plum tomatoes, including juice
2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) curry powder (to taste)
1 cup (250ml) frozen peas
2 tbsp (30ml) fresh lemon juice
almond slivers
dried raisins

Sauté chicken in olive oil and add onions and garlic after a few minutes. Continue to cook on medium heat until onions are translucent and soft and chicken is reasonably well-cooked.

Add chicken stock, tomatoes, curry powder and stir well, breaking up the tomatoes. Simmer uncovered to thicken, stirring occasionally on low-medium heat for about 30 minutes.

Add peas and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, then add the raisins and almond slivers along with the lemon juice. Simmer an additional 5 minutes and serve.

Pineapple tidbits can be added to this recipe for a more West-Indian flavor, and dish can be garnished with fresh green coriander leaves.

Serve with steamed rice and roti flatbread

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