08.19.08
Southwest Ranch Chicken Salad with Grilled Zucchini, Cornbread & Tomato Salad side.
Well this is a first, I’m posting twice in one day, but this recipe came out so well I wanted to share it. This afternoon I experimented with a few ingredients. Daniel asked for a “salad meal” and it’s been a while since I made one, so here goes. We’ll have three nights worth of dinners from it.
Ingredients:
6 – boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, fat trimmed
1 – head romaine lettuce, washed & cut into 1 inch slices widthwise
1 – large yellow zucchini, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
Tomato Mozzarella Salad:
4 c. – tomatoes, diced
1 – red bell pepper, diced
1/2 – red onion, chopped
1 – cucumber, diced
1/2 c. diced mozzarella cheese
1 tblsp. Italian seasoning
2 tblsp. – fresh chopped basil
1/4 c. tblsp. – balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. tblsp. – olive oil
Mix ingredients and allow to chill for two hours.
Marinade/Dressing:
1 c – ranch dressing
1 tblsp. – Italian seasoning
1 tsp. – fresh minced rosemary
1 tsp. – dried parsley
1/2 – 1 tsp. – cayenne pepper, depending on your “hot” preference
1/4 tsp. – tabasco sauce, may be omitted if you prefer the mild side
2 tblsp. – cider vinegar
1 tblsp. – lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl, add chicken and allow to marinate one hour.
Directions:
Spray your largest deep sided frying pan or a wide base stock pot with Pam Cooking Spray. Heat under medium flame. Add zucchini wedges and brown on cut sides then remove from pan. Cut wedges in half lengthwise. Remove pan from heat and reapply a coating of Pam. Reheat pan and add chicken pieces from marinade with whatever marinade sticks to them. Cook chicken apx. 4 min. each side, but be certain the juices run clear. Add remaining marinade and bring rapidly to boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove chicken pieces and cut each into 1 inch strips.
Arrange a serving of romaine lettuce on dinner plates. Place chicken strips from 1 piece on bed of lettuce. Place 4 zucchini half length wedges along side the chicken. Spoon 1/2 c. tomato salad on the other side of the chicken and some of the liquid over the chicken strips. Spoon cooked marinade over chicken. Serve with a wedge of cornbread. The cornbread recipe comes from the Indian Head Stone Ground Yellow Corn Meal bag.
This recipe, which was created on the spot with the ingredients I had on hand, came out exceptionally well. Please try it an let me know what you think.
Oh, and BTW, our internet is working above the “well within normal parameters” of yesterday.
O.P.W.
