Meg Goes Nom Nom

I do love me a big ol’ salad for dinner. I’m not talking about a wimpy bowl of leaves. I’m talking about a giant heaping plate of goodness – grains and proteins and tons of veggies with homemade dressing. Mama Pea refers to them as “Hugh Jass” salads.

Homemade croutons are a good start.

Wicked easy and a vast improvement over the bagged variety.

This is my favorite method for preparing boneless skinless chicken breast (which I’ve also discussed here before) – a four minute sear per side in a heavy duty pan, followed by  6-10 minutes in a 425 F oven.

Last night I read the most shocking news. Apparently, using cooking spray on nonstick cookware is not recommended. I am in the market for an oven-safe skillet, and have been considering enameled cast iron or a stainless steel skillet. In the midst of my research, I read that shocking news about cooking spray. I have been using cooking spray on nonstick cookware for years!

AM I THE ONLY ONE KNOW DIDN’T KNOW THIS!?

Apparently, the propellant found in cooking sprays breaks down the surface of nonstick cookware. Gah – guess I’m going back to the oil-on-paper-towel method on my nonstick cookware from now on. Most of my cookware is of the hard-anodized variety, made by Calphalon and I’ve been very pleased with it. Of course, my favorite piece of cookware, is my Le Creuset French Oven (free of Teflon or other controversial nonstick coatings) which is actually what I used tonight to sear my chicken. A skillet would have been more appropriate, if I owned a nice heavy duty one – I required a hefty dose of heat to achieve that lovely golden sear. No big deal, just lugged out the French Oven for the job.

After searing the chicken, I then popped it in the oven for 10 minutes so it could finish cooking through.

Meanwhile I prepared a really fantastic homemade dressing with oregano, garlic, lemon zest, and more.

Atop the dressing went the rest of the goodies – a mountain of chopped romaine, sliced red bell pepper, feta cheese, and my homemade croutons.

After the chicken finished baking and rested for a few moments, I sliced it thinly against the grain, and then served it atop our heaping salads.

The recipe also suggests using chopped pepperoncini peppers, but I used pickled jalapeño slices instead. I’ve gotten so used to heat that jalapeños barely taste hot to me anymore.

YUM!

I was a big fan of this hearty, guilt-free dinner. Will make again!

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Greek Chicken Bread Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 3 ounces cubed French bread baguette, crust removed
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper (about 1 large)
• sliced pepperoncini peppers, pickled banana peppers, or pickled jalapeños, to taste
• 1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Toss baguette cubes in melted butter. Place baguette cubes on a baking sheet. Broil 2 minutes or until edges are browned, turning once.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 425°.

4. Combine oregano and next 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; set aside.

5. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken evenly with black pepper and salt. Place chicken in pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Place pan in oven, and bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove pan from oven. Let chicken stand 5 minutes; slice thinly across the grain.

6. Add bread cubes, lettuce, bell pepper, peppers, and feta to bowl with oregano mixture; toss well. Top each serving with sliced chicken.

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My rating: 8/10

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Any recommendations for oven safe skillets!?

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