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Menu Plan for the week of July 26, 2013: Wednesday's Recipes

Chicken and Grilled Pepper Pasta Salad
Sliced Tomatoes

Cooking time:  25 minutes for menu          Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

      A pasta salad from the grill - with more garden-ripened tomatoes to round out the meal.  We'll finish the feta in the zucchini tomorrow night - but if you think you have more than you need, sprinkle some on the tomatoes.

Chicken and Grilled Pepper Pasta Salad

Total time: 25 minutes
     Grilled chicken and grilled or sautéed vegetables put a new twist on the old 'macaroni' or pasta salads of my childhood. Serve the chicken cut in chunks, mixed with the salad (my choice) or sliced and served on top (mon mari's choice).

 Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
• Marinade:
• 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbs red wine vinegar
• 3 tbs olive oil
• Salad:
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 carrot
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 medium tomato
• 2 tbs fresh, snipped basil
• 2 tbs fresh snipped chives
• 1 1/4 cups (4.2oz, 120gr) pasta, penne, fusilli
• Creamy Yogurt Dressing:
• 4oz (120gr) Greek or plain yogurt
• 1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs mayonnaise
• 2 tbs salad olive oil

 Instructions:

• Pasta:
• Cook pasta according to package directions.  When done, drain, rinse in cold water, drain well and put into large pasta bowl. 
• Chicken:
• In small bowl whisk together Worcestershire, vinegar and oil. 
• Put chicken breasts in glass baking dish and pour marinade over.  Let marinate for 10 minutes.
• Cook on barbecue grill for 8 - 12 minutes per side or until done (test - take a peak), basting when you turn them with any leftover marinade.
• OR sauté in nonstick skillet for 8 - 10 minutes per side until nicely browned and done, basting with marinade. 
• When done, remove and slice.
• Vegetables:
• Slice peppers into long strips, then cut strips in half.
• Slice onion.
• Toss onion and pepper with oil and cook in grill pan on barbecue for 10 minutes, until crisp tender. 
• Or sauté briefly over high heat  until starting to brown but still crisp.
• Remove from heat and put into pasta bowl. 
• The rest:
• Slice the carrot into paper thin strips using the vegetable peeler (hold onto to carrot and slice one half down to a thin stick. Holding on to the 'stick' slice the other half.  Eat the stick). 
• Slice celery thinly, at an angle to get pretty slices.
• Cut tomato into chunks. 
• Snip herbs. 
• Creamy Yogurt Dressing
• Put yogurt, mustard, lemon and mayo into a bowl and whisk together.
• Add the olive oil, 1 tbs at a time, and whisk.
• To Finish: 
• Put vegetables and herbs into bowl with pasta. 
• Add dressing and mix well.  Add chicken slices and toss gently to combine.... Or not.   Serve.

Sliced Tomatoes

1 or 2 ripe tomatoes

Slice and serve with salt and pepper.  

Cooking schedule: 25 minutes Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, scissors, whisk, 1 small bowl (used 2X), dish for marinating, pot for pasta, colander, barbecue grill and grill pan or skillet, large bowl for salad Put water on high heat for pasta Light/turn on barbecue grill if using Make marinade, pour over chicken Slice peppers, onion Toss peppers, onion with oil Cook peppers, onion Cut tomato for pasta Make dressing

Slice carrot, put into large bowl Cook pasta Remove peppers, onions, add to bowl Cook chicken Snip herbs, add to bowl Slice celery, add to bowl Add tomatoes to bowl Turn chicken Drain pasta, rinse, drain well, put in bowl with vegetables Remove chicken, let rest Add dressing to pasta / vegetables, stir to combine Slice chicken, add to salad, stir, or not Slice tomato, add feta if using.... Serve

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By Katie Zeller

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