Sunday, January 15, 2006

Stuffed on salad

I managed to absolutely gorge myself on salad tonight.  Not just any salad, you ssee.  I’m not what you would call a “salad lover”.  To me, salad is the stuff I feed my rabbits every night.  While it’s great for them, not so much for humans.  But I saw one on TV that totally changed my mind.  I saw it on the Food Netowrk and totally had to try it, even with the Feta cheese.  Being dairy-free is a challenge, since I *love* cheese.  I adore most cheese, and Feta is no exception.  The last dairy I had was the cup of milk in the pancakes (so about half a cup as the pancakes were split between me and the DH.) and it made me bloated and extremely ill for a couple of hours.  Would 1/4 cup of Feta in a whole salad do the same thing?



Now the amusing part of all this is that it’s FREEZING outside.  Normally this is the weather that just begs for soups, stews or other hearty comfort foods.  But for some odd reason I had my heart set on making this salad tonight.  So I started marinating the chicken and prepped most of the salad.  The red onion I had was way too pungent, so I caramelized it.  I thought about roasting some veggies, but didn’t really feel in the mood for it.  What’s the best complement to a salad.  Slices of crusty bread.  Or, in my case, Chebe rolls with rosemary. smile  I was a little worried, as I know how many strong flavors there would be in this salad.  The chicken was marinating in an oregano marinade, there was a “greek” dressing I was making with more oregano and garlic, and of course the Feta cheese and kalamata olives.  I kept some additional chicken on stand-by in case the DH didn’t like it.



I needn’t have worried.



He devoured it.  Absolutely loved it.  He was saying how when summer comes around he’d love to see this in our rotation, or when we have people over, make a huge bowl of this.  He’s just as stuffed on the salad as I am. smile



Heres the recipe from Food Network.  It’s from Good Deal with Dave Lieberman.  If you can’t tolerate dairy, feel free to leave the cheese off entirely or try a dairy cheese substitute, if you desire.



Greek Salad with Oregano Marinated Chicken



For the chicken:

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

A couple good pinches salt

10 grinds black pepper

4 (6 to 7-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts


For the dressing:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 lemon, juiced

2 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of your chef’s knife

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 pinches salt

10 to 15 grinds black pepper



For the salad:

2 to 3 hearts romaine lettuce

1 English cucumber, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3 vine-ripened tomatoes (about 3/4-pound), cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese



To marinate the chicken: In a non-reactive dish, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix together. Add the chicken breasts to the dish and rub both sides in the mixture. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.


To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a resealable container and shake vigorously. Refrigerate until ready to serve, and then bring to room temperature before tossing salad.



Assemble the salad: cut off any dark tips and the bitter white bottoms from the romaine leaves. Cut the lettuce into 1-inch strips and place in a bowl that is large enough to hold all the salad ingredients comfortably. Scatter cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and feta over the top. You can prepare the salad up to a few hours in advance. Cover it with a moist paper towel and refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving.



To cook the chicken: Heat a nonstick skillet or grill pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook, turning once, until well browned, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for a few minutes before slicing it into thin strips.



Give the dressing a good shake and pour it into a nice little serving bowl, using the lid to strain out the garlic.



Toss salad just before serving and fan chicken out on top.







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