Summertime—and in my dreams it is supposed to be lazy and easy. Why isn’t that always the case? Last week I was in North Carolina to attend a special wedding, then we took a couple days to explore the beauty and foods of Charleston, SC. Now home and back to a busy work schedule as Roxanne and I finish up a book manuscript. Wonderful times, yes! Lazy—far from it. It is time for easy, summer recipes!
No matter how busy, I start each Saturday morning at our local farmer’s market. I love seeing the produce. I buy lots, but even just soaking in the colors and aromas of the fresh produce is salve for my soul. Tomatoes are still a little early here, but thankfully some of the farmers started the crop early in tents so we have been getting some great ones.
I am thrilled to share this recipe with you this week. Now home from wonderful travels, I was hungry for simple, lighter meals, yet a busy schedule meant it was time for quick dinners. This recipe truly tastes like summer—and is ready in just minutes.
Pour a cold cocktail, kick back and enjoy a few minutes of lazy!
Summer Grilled Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes
1¼ to 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
1½ cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup basil leaves, chiffonade
Pound chicken until thin, about ½ -inch thick. Place chicken in a zip-top bag. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the vinegar, 2 cloves of garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Seal bag and massage to coat the chicken evenly. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 6 to 8 hours.
Heat oven to 400⁰F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place the tomatoes in a zip-top bag. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Add the remaining garlic and season with salt and pepper. Seal bag and toss to coat evenly. Spread tomatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until roasted, stirring midway through.
Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium high or allow coals to burn down to white ash. Drain chicken and discard marinade. Grill the chicken about 4 to 5 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 165⁰F. Remove chicken to serving platter and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest 5 minutes.
Drizzle the roasted tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and stir gently to coat the tomatoes. Pour the tomatoes over the chicken. Sprinkle with the fresh basil.
Makes 4 servings
Tips
Are you familiar with chiffonade? It means thin strips. An easy way to cut the basil is to stack the leaves, roll them, then thinly slice.
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