Simple Summer Chicken

I’m excited to share I found another summer dish I can’t get enough of: Greek-Style Chicken Breasts from Cooking Light’s May issue. It brings together all of the wonderful Mediterranean flavors while being light and refreshing, perfect as the weather gets warmer.

 

For this dish you’ll need:

• 4 (6oz.) skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 3/4 c. vertically sliced onion
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 oz. chopped and pitted kalamata olives
• 1 medium tomato, halved and sliced
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan, cooking for 6 minutes on each side. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and swirl to coat. Then add onion and garlic, saute for 4 minutes, then add the olives and tomato. Cook everything for 3 minutes or until the tomato begins to break down. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley oregano and lemon juice. Lastly, top the chicken with the tomato mixture and sprinkle with feta.

Cooking Light serves this dish with herbed gold potatoes but I also found this dish pairs exceptionally well with pasta or quinoa. Adding a grain definitely rounds out the dish–I highly recommend it! The only thing that could make this dish better would be to have a deck or patio I could eat it outside on 🙂 Test this chicken out–it’s quick and absolutely delicious–you won’t be disappointed (I’m ashamed to admit I ate almost the entire pot, it’s THAT good). But until next time, keep eating!

A Night of the Sides

I’m always on the hunt for a delicious side dish. I would argue that a good side dish can make a meal. And this is side dish is a showstopper. Tomato and feta Asparagus from Cooking Light. Now it may sound simple but boy does it pack a punch.

What you’ll need:

• 1 lb. trimmed asparagus
• 1 1/2 c. grape tomatoes (halved)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 oz. crumbled goat cheese (I substituted in feta)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the tomatoes and olive oil on a pan and toss. Bake for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, add the asparagus and bake for 9 minutes. Once done, top with balsamic, salt, pepper, and feta. Voila! Simple and delicious. The tomatoes and asparagus get a nice char on them from the oven, almost giving them the flavor as if they were cooked on the grill. There’s something about the tomato, feta, and asparagus combo that never gets old. Throw in some balsamic and BAM there you have it–a side dish that can easily win the hearts of anyone who tries it.

There are 5 other different flavor profiles in the article that I can’t wait to try. Next up: Red pepper and Manchego (one of my favorite cheeses!). Asparagus is the perfect side to any main–chicken, fish, steak, you name it! Test some of the different combos out and let me know what you think! But until next time, keep eating!