Eating meals outdoors always seems to lift my mood and the weather has been so nice dinner alfresco. I love the smell of meat cooking on the grill while sipping a good glass of wine. I’m sharing a recipe I found on Pinterest for Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad. The recipe originates from Cafe Delites and if you don’t follow her blog you should. In fact, I am sure you have already seen many of her recipes on Facebook.
The best thing about this recipe is that the marinade is also the dressing for the salad. You prepare it, then use half for the chicken and pour the other half into a bowl or dressing bottle.
Marinade — plenty of fresh ingredients
Marinating chicken
While the chicken marinates in lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar and fresh herbs, I prepared the salad. Instead of plating everyone’s portion separately, I decided to plate it from one big platter.
Starting with romaine lettuce, then avocados, cucumber, red onion and tomatoes.
Tip: Always let your grilled meat sit on the counter for at least 5-10 minutes to allow the internal juices to set which keeps the chicken moist. Slice the chicken and arrange on top of the salad platter. Drizzle remaining dressing over the top.
I served it with a bottle of Pedernales GSM 2014 from Pedernales Cellars that I picked up in Fredericksburg during a wine trip I took last fall. This Rhone-style blend incorporates Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache from their estate Hill Country vineyard and partner vineyards in Texas. Described as a “medium-bodied blend brings together the diverse character of these three varieties into a fantastic balance that delivers aromas of raspberry, fennel, mushroom, and molasses. This is a rich red wine with significant oak and a soft finish.” It really is one of my favorite wines to sip in the evening.
So if you were wondering what to make for dinner, this salad and wine along with a good crusty warm french bread would be the perfect way to celebrate spring.
Be sure to follow my Pinterest salad board. I have over 150 recipes for fresh salad inspiration.
Hospitality is in my DNA. I founded Home with a Twist, a daughter’s twist on her mother’s traditions, in memory of my mother to celebrate her life and the gifts she shared with me. Mother loved to celebrate life’s occasions – big and small.
