Dining "Chez Francesca"- #1

With the weather being far warmer in comparison to the norm when it comes to November in Northern Ontario...I decided to celebrate the warm temperature with a light, summery dinner.  I was in the mood to cook, but not wanting to make anything too elaborate.  I just found a few ingredients that inspired my quick (healthy) dish.  All you need are:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Lemons
• Capers
• Olives (whichever kind you most prefer)
• Tomatoes
• Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella
• Basil
• Baby greens
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Thyme *If on hand

 My recipe begins by marinating the chicken.  I am not a firm believer in exact measurements when it comes to cooking, so take my instructions if you will as an approximation.  I use about half a cup of EVOO, 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 4 cloves of minced garlic, thyme (again, if on hand) and some grated lemon zest. 

Pour the marinade over the chicken in a sealed Ziploc bag and let it sit for 30 minutes to one hour, but NO LONGER at room temperature.  

While the chicken is resting, start preparing the sauce that will dress your chicken once it's cooked.  The sauce is very quick to put together, however, it's better if it has some time to rest in order to ensure that the ingredients marry, which is why I recommend getting it done as soon as possible.  The sauce can be created from the same ingredients that are used to create the marinade for the chicken with a few tweaks to the proportions and ingredients.

• Half a cup of EVOO
• 1/4 of a cup of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons of capers/caper pickling liquid
• Muddled fresh basil leaves
• One clove of garlic, minced
• Half of a shallot, minced
• Seasoning to taste
• I also enjoy adding a few chili flakes every so often!

To grill the perfect chicken breast without having it dry out involves timing and patience.  There is a technique which I learned from the website, "Cooks Illustrated.":

*Turn all the burners on your barbeque to high heat.  Turn off one side of your barbeque about 2 minutes before placing your chicken on the grill.  Place the chicken on the "off" side of the grill and close the lid.  Do not move the chicken or lift the lid for 8-9 minutes.  Turn the chicken on the same side of the grill for the same amount of time.  To ensure grill marks, place the chicken on the hot side of the grill for 3 minutes with the lid up, then flip and repeat the same instruction. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it sit under a tented piece of tin foil for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it.

While the chicken is resting, cut the fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil.

Slice your chicken on the diagonal after it's rested.  Plate your tomatoes, cheese and basil alternatively in a circular shape on the plate and top with baby mixed greens topped with olives, EVOO, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Fan out your chicken slices on the plate next to your salad.  Drizzle the chicken (and salad if you wish) with the lemon/caper berry dressing.  Bon Apetit!

What did you have for dinner?