First things first. I must thank all of you for your overwhelming response to my last post. So many of you have reached out to me personally, appreciating the stance I took and encouraging me to keep up this outlook. Speaking of your struggles on world wide web is never easy, mortal crisis does not make a good blog post (C’mon it’s not a self-help blog, it’s a food and travel blog, and things are supposed to be light, breezy and cool here!). I debated a lot before deciding to write that post. But I couldn’t possibly lie to you about my absence on blogosphere for more than 2 months. How can a food blog run if there’s no food being cooked?
But now, I’ve set for myself a blog routine. Which is that I will publish a blog post every Thursday 7 pm PST (Friday 7.30 am IST). I’ll pretend that it’s my deadline at work and I have to get something up, even if it means cooking, shooting, editing and writing all in 2 hours. Let’s just say this will be my way of staying accountable to my blog. Why Thursday? I really don’t know. May be because Thursday used to be my day off from work back in Bangalore (India), and the fact that I must do something productive to make good use of the day is deep-rooted in my sensibilities even now. So if you are looking for any culinary inspiration from Guilt Free, don’t forget to visit the space around this time!
Today’s recipe though is far from any culinary brilliance. It’s a simple Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad which is a staple for me as the mercury soars. I’ve never been a fan of summer in India (nobody has!), but I’m willing to make an exception now. There are very few things on this planet that can beat the magnificence of a bright and sunny Pacific North West. And since rain-free Seattle area is not a sight we can behold often, let me stop here, slip on my walking shoes and go prancing around lakes and parks. Also, please pardon the phone pictures as setting up the camera is too cumbersome a task to indulge in when the sun calls your name from outside! Happy first day of Summer, you all!
Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad with Gochujang Almonds
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Ingredients
- For the grilled chicken:
- Chicken breast: 750 gm
- Honey: 3-4 tbsp
- Mustard: 2 tbsp
- Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
- Garlic powder: 1 tsp
- Salt: to taste
- Pepper: to taste
- For the salad:
- Mixed Greens: 150 gm (I used Trader Joe's blend of baby lettuce, baby spinach and arugula)
- Strawberries, hulled and sliced: 400 gm
- Gochujang Almonds: 4-5 tbsp (I used Trader Joe's, you can use plain almonds too)
- Feta cheese, crumbled: 4-5 tbsp
- For the dressing:
- Honey: 3 tbsp
- Mustard: 1 tbsp
- Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
- Extra virgin olive oil: 2 tbsp
- Salt and pepper
METHOD
- Marinade the chicken breast with the items listed under grilled chicken. Set aside for 2-3 hours or more.
- Once the chicken is marinated, preheat the air fryer or oven to 200 degree C/390 degree F for 5 or 10 minutes respectively.
- Grill the chicken for 20 minutes, turning it after the 12 minute mark. It may need a little more time in the oven. In any case, check for doneness after 20 minutes and if need be, grill it for 5 more minutes. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting it into slices.
- While the chicken is cooking, make your dressing. In a bowl, place all ingredients listed under dressing and stir together. Check for seasoning, and set aside.
- Once both your chicken and dressing are ready, start assembling the salad. Layer a big plate or bowl with the salad greens. Arrange the slices of chicken breast on the greens. Scatter the strawberries and almonds and sprinkle some crumbled feta. Drizzle the dressing over it. Mix and devour.
