Greek Chicken Salad (2 Ways)

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Hi there!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day yesterday.

Phew!  I'm actually glad it's over.  We ate way too much carbs yesterday!  I wasn't my intention but little things kept sneaking in to the menu and they added another level of carbs to the menu.  I am so ready for a salad today.

SALAD TO THE RESCUE

salad #1

I did double duty yesterday while we were grilling a wonderful juicy steak and snuck on a couple of chicken breasts to grill for today's salad.  Love doing that. Today we are gravitating toward Greek flavors.  This Greek Chicken Salad can be served two different ways.  I like mine to be about the chicken and array of Mediterranean vegetables along side, all covered with a delicious vinaigrette.  MGG loves same but wants some sort of lettuce mixed in with his vegetables to make it fuller.  Same salad two ways!

salad #2

The flavors of the Mediterranean really shine in this salad.  The marinade doubles as a salad dressing which makes things easy, and the lemon and oregano flavors pop in your mouth!  The chicken comes out juicy and so tasty and is perfect next to the cucumber, tomato salad mixture.  If you like olive, throw them in.  This is a versatile salad. 

It's hearty and easy to make.  Again, you can cook the chicken ahead and throw this together in no time at all.  Overall it's a great 30  minutes meal that you could make any weeknight. 

So Greek Chicken Salad is saving the day today, with a great low carb meal.

Enjoy!

Greek Chicken Salad (2 Ways)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut in half to make four cutlets

4 Pita Bread, cut into eighths

Tazatziki (store bought)

Marinade / Dressing:

¼ cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon  ( 2-3 Tablespoons )
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

Fresh ground black pepper

For Salad #1:

3 Persian or 1 English cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced thick

1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used orange and red)

1 orange bell pepper, sliced into strips

½ red onion, sliced thinly

1/4 c Feta cheese, crumbled

For Salad #2:
1/2 head of romaine or red leaf lettuce, torn
all other ingredients listed in Salad #1

Whisk together all the marinade / dressing ingredients in large, shallow dish. Pour out ⅓ cup to use as the dressing; reserve in the refrigerator for later.

Add the chicken to the marinade and evenly coat; cover and allow to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

To a large bowl, add all vegetables and toss.  Set aside.   

Heat a outdoor grill to medium-high heat.  Add chicken, discarding the marinade to the grill.  Cook 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through (180 degrees) Remove from the grill and allow to rest 5 minutes.  Slice the chicken and arrange on plates.  Add dressing to the salad and toss.  Sprinkle with feta cheese.  Add salad to the side of the  chicken and add several pieces of pita bread to each plate.   Drizzle with any remaining dressing and serve with the tzatziki.

adapted from Café Delites

20 Amazing Labor Day Recipes

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Labor Day is around the corner so I wanted to bring to you
20 Amazing Labor Day Recipes!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday!! 

Salads

Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad




Fruit Salad with a Red Currant Raspberry Sauce




Springtime Pasta Salad




Summer Corn Salad




Cheese Focaccia Panzanella with Grilled Ratatouille

Main Dishes

Grilled Chili Lime Fish or Chicken Tacos




Jamaican Jerk Chicken Kabobs




The Mushroom Swiss Burger

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Grilled Flank Steak in Adobo Tomato Sauce

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu

Side Dishes

The Best Grilled Corn Ever!




Grilled Vegetables




Grilled Green Beans




Simple Cheddar Biscuits

Desserts

Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream




Banana Pudding Jars




Red Velvet Berry Parfaits




Banana Bundt Cake




Grandma Landon's Strawberry Cake

One Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice

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I'm also on the lookout for good weeknight meals, but I haven't really jumped on the "One Pot" bandwagon yet.  Have you? I've made a couple such as my Chicken and Asparagus dish, and One Pot Pasta.  

I've pinned a lot of them though. So today I thought I'd use up some chicken from the frig and make one of these recipes I've pinned so many moons ago!  #PinterestIsAddicting

The One Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice recipe comes from Tiffany over at Crème de la Crumb.  She's a wiz in the kitchen and has so many great recipes on her site, so make sure to check it out.  I basically followed her recipe with a little addition of some extra spice on the chicken itself. 

One Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice to the rescue!

Where have these quick 30 minutes meals, made in one pot, been all my life?  One pot?  Yes please.  Easy on the clean up and it takes just a tiny bit of prep and you have a tasty dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

Do you love lemon?  Love chicken and rice?  Need a quick weeknight meal?  Then One Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice is the dish for you.  The flavors are bright with lemon and spiced with pepper.  The Italian seasoning lends that fresh herbaceous pop we love, and the rice is just comfort city.  This might be you new comfort food dish for the upcoming fall season.

Enjoy!



One Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice

serves 4

time:  30 minutes

4 thin sliced, chicken breasts, boneless skinless
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp salt
3 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
2¼ cups chicken broth, low sodium
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon


Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet.  Season chicken with salt, Italian seasoning. and lemon pepper on both sides.  Place chicken in the skillet and cook 2 minutes, until just browned, on each side.  Remove to a plate.

Add the rice to the skillet and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.  Bring rice to a boil.  Return the chicken to the skillet, placing it on top of the rice.  Add any juices that have accumulated from the chicken as well.  Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.  

Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices.  Serve.

slightly adapted from Crème de la Crumb