We have finally reached summer temperatures here in the Northwest. And it feels good! Makes you want to spend less time in the kitchen with the oven or stove on and more time outside in the cooler evenings having fun with friends and family. So during the summer we eat a lot of grilled foods, salads, sandwiches, and fast, easy meals. Like this amazing salad! It works great when you marinate the chicken a few days in advance as well as prep the veggies and dressing. It allows time for the flavors to meld and makes for a quick throw together dinner! Dinner in under 30 minutes, perfect for when you're trying to avoid your kitchen!!
Mediterranean Salad with Lemon Pepper Kabobs
Chicken:
3 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would work nicely too), cut into 2"-3" chunks
Zest and juice from one large lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
8-10 bamboo skewers
8-10 cherry tomatoes (optional)
Salad:
1 cup cucumber, diced (peeled or unpeeled, whatever your preference may be)
1 cup tomato, diced (roma or cherry tomatoes work great!)
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup black olives, roughly chopped
3 tsp red wine vinegar
3 tsp lemon juice
3 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely minced
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (I prefer to buy block feta and crumble it myself because the cheese is more moist and flavorful)
5 cups mixed greens
For the chicken:
In a medium bowl, combine everything except the bamboo skewers. Mix well. Cover with an air tight lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours (I find that 2-3 days is great). On the night you choose to cook your chicken, soak skewers in water for an hour. This prevents the skewers from burning too much. Preheat grill to medium heat. Put skewers through the pieces of chicken, about 6-10 chunks of chicken per skewer depending on sizes of chunks. Top each skewer with a cherry tomato. Grill each skewer for about 4-6 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and serve atop the platter of salad.
For the salad:
In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olives, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, lemon pepper, parsley, dill, and oregano. Mix well and refrigerate at least 8 hours (I allow this to sit for the same length of time as the chicken). On a large platter, lay out greens. Top with marinaded veggie mixture and sprinkle with feta cheese. Top with chicken skewers and serve.
Source: Adapted from SkinnyTaste
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