Dijon Blue Chicken Salad

Warming Up to….

With summer just a few degrees away, my dinner cravings take a sharp turn from meat and heavy side dishes cooked in the oven to grilled entrees and creative salads using fresh ingredients, simply prepared.

This salad recipe, from a food feature in The Commercial Appeal, makes the transition beautifully.  It uses fresh ingredients, ever mindful of their tender texture and bright appearance, and dresses them with the bold transitional flavor of a country Dijon mustard marinade.

…the Dijon Blues

This is a chicken salad like I have never tasted chicken salad before. Not only does it avoid mayonnaise (a big plus in my book), it uses the sassy sophistication of Dijon mustard to both marinate the chicken and dress the salad. Balancing the bold flavor and earthy color of country Dijon are bright bites of asparagus, slivers of red onion and chunks of bell pepper. To seal the deal these lovely contrasts of flavor and texture are accented with a handful of sharp yet creamy blue cheese crumbles.

Served with a fresh green salad and crusty roll, or alongside a bed of brown rice, Dijon Blue Chicken Salad makes an interesting and satisfying addition to a warm weather menu.

Dijon Blue Chicken Salad

from a recipe by Jennifer Chandler for The Commercial Appeal

3 or 4 servings

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided

1 lb. pencil-thin asparagus, cleaned and trimmed

½ cup thinly sliced red onion

½ cup sliced red bell pepper

½ cup sliced yellow or orange bell pepper

salt and pepper

½ cup crumbled blue cheese

In a shallow pan, whisk together 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard (I like the texture of country Dijon but any Dijon will do).

Add the chicken breasts to the dish, turning to completely coat in the mustard mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile: Cut asparagus into bite sized pieces.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and heat until shimmery.  Add the asparagus and cook, stirring frequently, for a minute or two. 

Add the onion and bell pepper slices to the skillet.  Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

When you are ready to cook, season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill over hot coals, or under the broiler, cooking approximately 7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through (to an internal temperature of 165F.)

Allow cooked chicken to rest for 5 minutes.  Slice thinly, against the grain.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, asparagus, onion, and bell pepper.  Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of mustard and 1 Tablespoon of oil.  Toss to coat.

Add the blue cheese crumbles.  Toss gently.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve salad chilled or at room temperature. It can even be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

A Bowl of Tea at the Golden Pavilion

From my Japan journals:

It is the stuff of dreams: a tiered pavilion, dressed in gold leaf, standing in a pristine garden.  The image is framed by a wooded hillside and boldly reflected in a tranquil pond. Even the sunlight falls like a golden veil on a humid summer afternoon.

Gold is a symbol of prosperity and purity. We think of the streets of heaven paved in gold. Gold suggests comfort, hope and security. Gold is big and bold and self-assured.

Among the temples skirting the edge of Kyoto, Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, stands out.  It is one of the most popular tourist attractions, not only in Kyoto but in all of Japan. It is beautiful and evocative, an elegant structure in an harmonious setting.

Beyond the Golden Pavilion and through the garden stands a teahouse. It is open to guests and offers a bowl of matcha and a sweet.  Shoes are left outside and guests are ushered to a space on the tatami mats.  A bowl of frothy green tea is promptly served along with a single tea sweet on a small plate.

Here at Kinkakuji, that sweet is firm, like sculpted sugar, and flecked with gold. The surface is impressed with a small image of the Golden Pavilion itself.  The firm shell is filled with sweet red bean paste.  The hostess motions for each guest to eat the sweet first, then sip the matcha quickly, before the tea settles.

On my tongue the sweetness of the gold flecked wagashi is intense, so intense that my children do not finish theirs. The thick green matcha that follows is bitter to my lips but when it meets the lingering sweetness on my tongue the flavors harmonize to an agreeable balance.  The two blend, developing a complex and pleasing symmetry.

I am fascinated.  The recess is brief; the interlude of a few sips of tea following a single sweet, refreshing.  I tuck the experience away for further reflection.

Outside the teahouse I buy a small box of the gold flecked sweets, a souvenir of this new discovery.  Then we continue our journey out the gate and along the roadway toward Ryoanji. 

Marinated Bourbon Steak

An Agreeable Subject

At times food photography can be a joy. The subject sits there still and without objection.  It can easily be moved to various settings, with light falling on it at different angles. When there is nothing to get cold and no one waiting at the table, hungry and ready to eat, I love photographing what I create in the kitchen. 

At other times, the challenges involved in photographing dinner can be frustrating. Fresh off the grill this Bourbon Marinated Steak was beautiful, the aroma tantalizing.  Eager to share this simple recipe in time for Derby Day I took the steak from the grill near twilight on a cloudy evening and did my best to get a decent shot before the steak got cold and my diners rebelled.

A Good Choice

I wish I could say I knew enough about photography that you could see my success.  Gladly I am a little better at choosing recipes than camera settings for low light situations. What I can say is that the steaks were delicious, with a flavor hinting at bourbon’s oaky complexity without being overpowered by it’s strength.

Serve these delicious steaks as a main course or slice them thin and serve them on little Rosemary Biscuits as a hearty appetizers that gives a nod to the Bluegrass State.

Marinated Bourbon Steak

From an old magazine clipping of unknown origin

½ cup bourbon

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 (1-inch) beef top loin strip steaks (about 1½ lbs)

In a shallow pan, stir together the bourbon, lemon juice, brown sugar and cracked black pepper until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the steaks to the dish, turning to completely coat in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, turning occasionally.

When ready to cook, remove steaks and discard marinade.

Grill over hot coals (around 425F) with lid down for 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until  done as desired.

Serve as is or slice and serve sandwiched on small Rosemary Biscuits.

Enjoy!