Recipe: Grilled Chicken, Zucchini and Red Pepper Salad
Grilled Chicken, Zucchini and Red Pepper Salad
Marinade:
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 12 ounces zucchini
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 head green leaf lettuce, rinsed and drained
- olive oil
- salt
- juice of 1 or 2 lemons
Marinade: Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl and set aside.
Cut the chicken breasts into 1 to 1½-inch cubes. Place in a large bowl, add half of the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (If not using the remaining marinade within an hour, cover and refrigerate.) Cut the zucchini into 1-inch rounds, then slice the rounds in half. Seed the pepper and cut it into 1-inch slices. Place the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the remaining marinade and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling.
To grill the chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto four metal skewers. Heat a gas grill over high heat, or prepare hot charcoals. Place a grill basket on the grill grates to heat (for cooking the vegetables). When hot, place the skewered chicken directly on the grill grates. Cover and grill until lightly browned on all sides, turning every 2 minutes, for total of 6 to 7 minutes. Move the skewers to indirect heat and continue cooking for 4 to 6 minutes more, until cooked through.
To grill the vegetables: Place the vegetables in the heated grill basket over high heat on a gas grill, or over hot charcoals. Cover and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, turn the vegetables over and grill for 3 to 4 minutes more. The vegetables should be lightly browned and tender-crisp.
To serve, arrange 2 or 3 medium to large lettuce leaves on each dinner plate. Spoon the vegetables over the leaves. Top each with a skewer of chicken. Drizzle each salad with olive oil, salt and lemon juice, to taste. Serves 4.
Wine recommendation by Jayni: 2007 Angeline Chardonnay, Sonoma County.
Recipe by Jayni Carey ©Copyright, April, 2010.