Grilled Salad

I don't remember where I saw the idea for this one - I think part of came from a Rachael Ray recipe...again, another recipe with no real measurements - I trust you can figure out how much to use. I did use store-bought dressing in the salad but I add some ingredients to it to make it a little better tasting.

Grilled Salad

Chicken breasts
Italian dressing for both chicken marinade and for salad
Whole wheat penne pasta
Hearts of romaine
Radicchio
Endive
Zucchini
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Dijon mustard
Red wine vinegar

Marinade chicken breasts in dressing for at least 1 hour. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking, cool pasta and keep refrigerated. Grill chicken until done - let rest 5 minutes - then cut into pieces and let cool in fridge. Slice romaine hearts, radicchio, and endive in half - keep core intact so halves stay together. Cut zucchini into slices or wedges. Dress romaine, radicchio, endive, and zucchini with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill lettuces over medium-high heat, cut side down until heated through and edges begin to char - turning once if necessary. Grill zucchini until cooked. In bowl, mix small amount of Italian dressing with a squirt of Dijon mustard, a splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add cooled pasta to the bowl. When lettuces and zucchini are done, chop in bit-sized pieces and add to bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss with the dressing. Rip or cut mozzarella and add to bowl. Toss again and serve.


***********************************************
-Obviously, my salad only had the zuchinni and no chicken and Will's had chicken and no zuchinni.
-The mozzarella was good but not enough flavor - I would try manchego the next time or maybe even bleu cheese.

Balsamic Chicken and Veggie Pitas; Red Skinned Potato Salad

Made these for dinner on Sunday with the potato salad. No real measurements on these - I'm sure you can figure out how much to use depending on how many people you're feeding.

Balsamic Chicken and Veggie Pitas

Chicken breasts
Balsamic vinegar dressing
Worcestershire sauce
Grill seasoning
Eggplant
Portobello mushroom caps
Greens (spinach, lettuces)
Tomatoes
Peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
Fresh mozzarella
Wheat pitas
Ranch, Italian, Blue cheese dressing
Salt
Pepper

Marinate chicken breasts in balsamic vinegar dressing, Worcestershire sauce, grill seasoning, salt, and pepper. Drizzle mushroom caps with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Peel and slice eggplant. Drizzle eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Slice peppers, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Wash and rough chop greens.
Grill chicken breasts, let rest 5 minutes, then slice. Grill mushroom caps and eggplant slices until cooked. Slice mushroom caps into strips.
Slice top quarter of pitas off to make a pocket. Turn off grill – place pitas on grates until warm, turning once.
Lay food out buffet style. Drizzle pitas with favorite dressing.

Red Skinned Potato Salad

Scrubbed new red potatoes
Turnips
Eggs
Bacon
Onion, finely chopped
Stalk celery, finely chopped
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
Italian parsley
Salt
Pepper

Start potatoes and turnips in pot of cold water. Bring to a boil – boil for 15 to 20 minutes. When cooked, drain water and let potatoes/turnips cool.

Fill a small saucepot with enough water to cover eggs by an inch. Remove eggs and set aside. Bring water to a boil. Lower eggs into boiling water and begin timer for 8 minutes and 30 seconds. Once water returns to a boil reduce heat so water is at a simmer. Once finished, drain water and let eggs cool in the fridge.

Put mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, chopped onion, chopped celery, and chopped parsley in bowl – mix to combine. Chop the cooled potatoes and turnips, leaving skin on. Add potatoes and turnips to the mayonnaise mixture. Peel and chop the cooled eggs – mix to combine. Sprinkle cooled and crumbled bacon over the top.