First, the Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta, Fresh Corn & Blueberries, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. If you know me at all, you know how much I love her. This recipe definitely doesn't disappoint! It's very simple to make and would be perfect for a picnic on a hot summer day. I served it on big leaves of romaine lettuce, but you could also toast up some bread or just eat it right off the plate with a fork.
I followed the recipe pretty closely. I did marinate my chicken for a few hours in a combo of lemon juice, olive oil, dill, garlic & salt, however. It gave the chicken really great flavor.
This made enough for dinner for 2 plus lunch for 2 the next day. (I'm actually eating the leftover right now. Yum!)
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| www.thepioneerwoman.com |
4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Olive Oil, For Drizzling
3 stalks Celery (inner Light Green Stalks), Finely Diced
2 ears Fresh Corn
1/4 whole Medium Red Onion, Finely Diced
3 Tablespoons Fresh Dill, Minced
4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
4 Tablespoons Sour Cream
1/4 cup Half-and-half
1 whole Lemon
1 teaspoon Sugar (more To Taste)
Salt And Pepper (additional) To Taste
1-1/2 cup Blueberries
Place chicken breasts into large plastic storage bag. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin to flatten to 1/4 inch uniform thickness. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat grill and drizzle chicken with olive oil. Grill chicken on both sides until done, about 7 minutes per side. (Rotate halfway during grilling each side to ensure pretty grill marks.) Remove from pan. Allow to cool.
With a very sharp knife, shave kernels off each corn cob. Combine with the onion and celery. Set aside.
Mix together dill, mayonnaise, sour cream, feta, and half-and-half. Stir in sugar, squeeze in lemon juice, and add salt and pepper. Stir, then taste. Add more salt if necessary; do not undersalt!
Slice chicken on the bias to create flat, randomly shaped pieces. Throw into a bowl with celery, onion, and corn. Stir to combine. Pour half the dressing over the ingredients and toss gently. Add more as desired, but don't overcoat the salad; should be light!
At the end, toss in the blueberries to lightly coat them in the dressing. Serve, then sprinkle individual helpings with feta.
Find the original blog post, with a printable recipe here.
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Next up, a super simple but incredibly delicious dessert from Joy The Baker. Roasted Apricots with Honey Mascarpone. This is also a great warm weather treat.
I ended up using agave instead of granulated sugar (only because I was actually out of granulated...who runs out of granulated sugar?!) and it worked out fine. I also used it instead of honey to sweeten the mascarpone because I already had it out and I'm lazy. I didn't use lemon balm, because I didn't have any. I'm sensing a theme here...
Anyway, these are awesome. You should make them.
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| www.joythebaker.com |
4 apricots, halved and pits removed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup marscarpone cheese
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon chopped mint
1 teaspoon chopped lemon balm (optional)
Preheat broiler. Place sugar in a shallow bowl. Dip apricot halves in sugar and place in a oven safe dish. Place dish under the broiler and bake for 3 to 4 minutes. Keep an eye on the apricot, and carefully rotate the pan as necessary. Sugar will melt, boil and begin to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
In a small bowl, mix honey into mascarpone cheese. Place slightly cooled apricots on a plate. Top with a dollop of mascarpone mixture, and a sprinkling of fresh mint and lemon balm. Serve.
These apricots are best served just after they’re baked.
Original blog post & printable here.
