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Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad

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Grilled basil chicken ingredients:

  • Chicken breasts
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh basil
  • Garlic
  • Lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • I sometimes cheat and buy shredded rotisserie chicken, then marinate the cooked chicken 

White balsamic dressing ingredients:

  • Olive oil
  • White balsamic vinegar
  • Honey
  • Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper

Peach salad base ingredients:

  • Spring mix lettuce
  • Fresh peaches
  • Corn
  • Chopped pecans
  • Red onion
  • Goat cheese

How to Make Peach Salad with Grilled Chicken

  • Marinate chicken for 2 to 5 hours, then grill over medium-high heat. Slice grilled basil chicken and set aside.
  • Whisk together white balsamic vinaigrette ingredients in measuring cup.
  • Prep veggies for the peach salad, then add to large bowl.
  • Drizzle dressing over top and toss to combine, then top with grilled chicken.

Grilled Marinated Peppers With Burrata And Sourdough Breadcrumbs

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INGREDIENTS

  • 4 bell peppers
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil spray or for drizzling
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 3 slices sourdough bread, torn into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, like thyme, basil, rosemary, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 (8 ounce) ball burrata cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
  • Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Around 500 degrees.
  • Slice the peppers down the center, cutting them in half from top to bottom. Remove some of the ribs and seeds. Spray or brush the peppers with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Make the vinaigrette. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, crushed pepper flakes until combined. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
  • Make the sourdough crumbs. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Add in the torn sourdough pieces with a pinch of salt and pepper along with the garlic powder. Cook, tossing often, until crunchy and golden, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Place the peppers on the grill, cut side down. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes (or until golden and slightly charred), then flip and grill for another 5. Remove the peppers and place them on a dish. Drizzle them with a bit of the vinaigrette and let them sit for a few minutes to marinate in the dressing. Tear apart a ball of burrata and distribute it over the peppers. Drizzle on more vinaigrette. Top with the sourdough crumbs and fresh herbs.

6. Serve!

Now that I’ve made this, I have a few suggestions:

  • If you are in a hurry, you can toast the bread, then butter it with melted butter, infused with garlic. Then you would have to cut it so it would be more like croutons. 
  • Making croutons is a good option to bread crumbs
  • This meal was not filling
  • I roasted brussels sprouts then drizzled some of the vinaigrette on them

Grilled Salmon Steaks with Mustard Sauce and Asparagus

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Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for grates
  • 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
  • 1 pound medium-thick asparagus, trimmed
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 4 salmon steaks (6 to 8 ounces each)
  • 4 slices grilled bread (optional)

Directions

Instructions Checklist

  • Step 1

    Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Make mustard sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, sugar, and vinegar. Divide sauce between two bowls (about 1/2 cup each); use one for basting and the other for drizzling. Set aside.

     

  • Step 2

    In a large bowl, toss asparagus with oil; season with salt and pepper. Working in batches, if necessary, grill asparagus, turning occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, 4 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness of spears. Set aside.

     

  • Step 3

    Arrange salmon steaks on a baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. With a brush, baste each side lightly with some of the mustard sauce. Grill salmon steaks, basting with sauce again, until glazed and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer salmon to plates; drizzle with mustard sauce. Serve with the asparagus and, if desired, grilled bread.

Chile con Queso

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INGREDIENTS

  • 3 Hatch green chiles
  • 3 jalapeños
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1/4 cup half-and-half
  • 2 cups grated Asadero or White Cheddar cheese
  • Salt to taste
  • Tortillas for serving

PREPARATION

STEP 1

Roast the chilies and the jalapeños under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place them in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tightly and let them steam for 20 minutes.
After the chilies have steamed, remove them from the bag and rub off the skin. Remove the stems and seeds from all the chiles and slice into thin, long strips.

In a large skillet, heat the butter on medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Pour the half-and-half in the skillet and then add the chile strips. Turn the heat down to low and, a little at a time, add the grated cheese, stirring until it’s melted. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately with warm corn or flour tortillas.

Crispy Cheese Wafers Recipe

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups (8 ounces) freshly grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup Rice Krispy’s cereal (or similar)

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Step 2

Mix together cheese, butter, flour, red pepper, Worcestershire and salt in a large bowl until mixture forms a ball that lightly sticks together and pulls in all the flour. (Hands might work best for this).

Step 3

Gently fold cereal into dough.

Step 4

Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place balls about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a crisscross pattern.

Step 5

Bake 15 minutes or until firm. Cool on pan on wire rack. Store in airtight container up to 1 week.

Serve with a dish of pepper jelly and a block of softened cream cheese or log of goat cheese. Smear a little cheese on a wafer and top with a dab of the jelly.

This recipe is much better when the cheese is freshly grated but store bought grated does work. If you buy a block of cheddar cheese, make sure it is cold. Then you can shred it quickly in food processor.

Adapted from Southern Living.