TASTE
Grilled chicken turns salad into a full meal
| • | Crowning cupcakes |
By J.M. Hirsch
Associated Press
Great salads are all about contrasting tastes and textures.
Such as soft, creamy chunks of cheese playing against crunchy, bitter bites of radish. Or delicate leafy greens juxtaposed with crunchy, sweet carrots. And spicy seasoned croutons with sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes.
This time of year, the tendency is to make a meal of a salad. This often is done by upping the protein, usually by adding roasted or grilled chicken or turkey.
GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD
Lightly coat grill grate with cooking spray or oil. Preheat grill to high.
Place the dried mushrooms in a food processor or blender. Pulse until the mushrooms are very finely chopped, reduced almost to a powder. Add the paprika, garlic powder, pepper and salt, then pulse once or twice to combine. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
Dredge the chicken pieces through the mushroom mixture, coating both sides. Set aside.
Divide the greens among four serving plates. Top with cucumber, red bell pepper and cherry tomatoes. Set aside.
Lower the grill to medium-high and place the chicken on the grate. Cover the grill and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let rest 5 minutes.
When the chicken has cooled, cut into bite-size pieces and distribute evenly between the four salads. Top each salad with grated cheese, then drizzle them lemon juice and olive oil.
Makes 4 servings.
