Thursday, January 29, 2009

Sunshine on a Brrr Kinda Day

I thought I'd share this lovely photo and warm up some of my iced over and frozen friends......Photo is courtesy of my hubby - just one he happened to snap when we were in Aruba last summer.
And in honor of the warm photo that has you thinking about your toes in the nice, warm tropical sand, listening to the crashing waves and smelling the salty air, I thought I'd share a recipe I came across that sounds fabulously yummy! I always love new recipes and for some reason salad recipes are particularly interesting to me.
Grilled Chicken Salad Cosmopolitan
1/4 cup jellied cranberry sauce
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon flavored vodka (you could use lemon juice here instead)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (regular pepper if you don't have lemon pepper)
1 (10 ounce) bag European blend salad greens (Salad greens of your choice)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 cups diced orange segments
2 tablespoons orange zest strips

I'd add in some pecans too as a finishing touch, but that's just me.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cranberry sauce and orange marmalade. Warm and stir until melted and well blended. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice, orange juice and vegetable oil. Remove 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside in the refrigerator for later (this will be your salad dressing).
Allow the mixture to cool then stir in the lemon vodka and transfer to a large resealable bag. Season the chicken pieces with salt and lemon pepper; place them into the bag with the marinade. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Preheat a grill for medium heat (if you can actually get to your grill through the snow & ice). Remove the chicken from the plastic bag, discarding the marinade.
Place the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until firm and no longer pink in the center. If you have a meat thermometer, it should measure 160 degrees F (70 degrees C) when measured in the thickest part. Remove chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. While the chicken is resting, combine the salad greens, cranberries, and orange segments. Pour the reserved citrus marinade over the salad and toss lightly to coat. Divide the salad between four serving plates. Slice each piece of chicken crosswise into 1/2 inch strips. Arrange over the tops of the salads and sprinkle with orange zest strips.

YUM-O! Enjoy!
Happy Sunshine today!
Min

1 comment:

  1. mmmm...the recipe sounds yummy, and I needed a little tropical sunshine with some san. Oh to just be there!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my little sliver of Paradise.
I love reading your comments!!!
Hugs & Happy Days! ~Min