Bridget's Recipe Corner

Yesterday's hot weather had me craving something light for dinner. Because of the heat, I knew my oven wasn't going to be used, but I still wanted to cook something. Inspiration came in the shape of Flavorino tomatoes, a baguette and my grill. My grilled bread salad was the result. Though this recipe may seem a bit lengthy, it is very easy to make and came together fairly quick. The "gang" enjoyed it, but I grabbed the leftovers for my lunch today. Yummy - can't wait to eat. Hope you enjoy it too.

Summer Grilled Bread Salad with grilled tomato vinaigrette dressing

For the grilled chicken:

1 pkg. thin cut, boneless/skinless chicken breasts

chicken seasoning (I used Kroger brand 'Kickin Chicken')

1 pkg. Good Seasons Zesty Italian dressing (prepared) with juice of 1/2 lemon

freshly ground black pepper

In small bowl, season chicken and pour 1/2 c. prepared dressing over the top. Let marinate approximately 20-30 minutes. Grill breasts after bread and vinaigrette have been grilled and prepared. Let cool then cut into chunks.

For the grilled bread:

1 large baguette

olive oil

Kosher/Sea salt, to taste

Slice baguette lengthwise and then quarter. Brush lightly with olive oil and season lightly with salt. While the vegetables are cooking, place cut baguette on grill. Turn to toast on all sides, but watch carefully as you don't want to burn the baguette. Remove from heat and let cool. Cut bread into large cubes, place in large bowl, pour all but 1/4 c. tomato vinaigrette over the bread, mixing well. Let sit about 20 minutes so the bread has absorbed the dressing, but still has a slight 'crunch' to it.

For the grilled vinaigrette:

5-8 Flavorino tomatoes (on sale at King Soopers this week)

1/2 red onion, cut into medium size pieces

1 large shallot, cut into medium size pieces

olive oil

Kosher salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

1/4 c. prepared Good Seasons dressing

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. red wine vinegar

In small bowl, drizzle vegetables with olive oil and seasonings. Prepare grill and grill pans. When ready, add vegetable mixture to grill pans and cook approximately 10 minutes or until veggies are soft. Remove from heat. Let cool about 5 minutes. Place in food processor or blender. Add 1/4 c. dressing from chicken, lemon juice, vinegar and Parmesan cheese. Blend until smooth, though a few small chunks may remain. Add more olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice if necessary. Season with additional pepper, if desired. Pour all but 1/4 c. dressing over the cut/grilled bread. Add remaining vinaigrette to prepared dressing and mix well. Extra dressing can be passed at the table.

For the salad:

8-10 Flavorino tomatoes, diced

3 yellow tomatoes, diced

1 large English cucumber, quartered

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 c. flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, mix well and set aside. When ready to serve, add bread and toss well with hands. Spoon chopped lettuce onto plates. Add generous portion of bread salad and top with chopped chicken. Pass additional dressing at table.

Serve this lighter style summer salad with your favorite beverage. I might suggest Melior, a blend of Verdejo and Viura from Spain... a delicious and reasonably priced treat at $11.99!