Pasta Salad With Grilled Lemon Chicken Roasted Peppers And Goat Cheese Food

30-MINUTE LEMONY PASTA WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat grill or grill pan.
• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on all sides. Grill over medium-high heat until no longer pink inside, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and cover with aluminum foil. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.
• While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, parsley, and basil to the pan and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Pour lemon juice into skillet, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3 minutes.
• Pour lemon and oil mixture into a large serving bowl. Drain the pasta, then add it to the serving bowl. Toss well, until pasta is coated.
• Slice chicken into strips, add to the bowl, and toss again. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Serve immediately, with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

CREAMY LEMON-PEPPER ORZO WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil; prepare a grill or grill pan for medium heat.
• Whisk together the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Rub the chicken thighs with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill until nicely marked and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for at least 5 minutes.
• Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions for al dente, stirring in the peas during the last minute of cooking. Drain the orzo and peas, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir the orzo and peas into the yogurt mixture, along with the goat cheese, 3 tablespoons of the herbs and at least 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid, until well combined. Transfer to a platter.
• Thinly slice the chicken and arrange on top of the orzo. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and the remaining 1 tablespoon herbs.

ROASTED-PEPPER PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Shake off the excess water. Meanwhile, place the bell peppers cut-side down on a foil-lined broiler pan, add the garlic and broil until charred, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover and set aside about 5 minutes. Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and toast, shaking the pan, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Squeeze the garlic from its skin onto a cutting board. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt; mince and mash the garlic into a paste with a large knife. Peel the roasted peppers and slice into strips; transfer to a large bowl. Add the garlic paste and drizzle with the olive oil. Finely grate about 1 teaspoon lemon zest into the bowl and squeeze in all of the lemon juice. Add the bocconcini, basil, almonds, pasta, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; toss.
• Photographs by Antonis Achilleos

BOW TIE PASTA SALAD WITH CHICKEN AND ROASTED PEPPERS

Steps:

• 1. Position a rack about 6-inches from broiler and heat to high. Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring often, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well and rinse under cold running water. Spread out on paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
• 2. Meanwhile, put the tomatoes in a small bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside to macerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
• 3. Arrange the peppers on a broiling pan, cut side down and broil, until blistered and black in spots, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer peppers to a bowl, cover with a lid or plate and set aside to steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse or scrape off the skin; cut peppers into a dice.
• 4. Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, mustard in a large bowl, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until smooth. Add the tomatoes with accumulated juices, the roasted peppers, and parsley and toss lightly. Just before serving, add the chicken and pasta and toss gently until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

GRILLED PEPPERS AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Roast red peppers on grill until charred, turning as each side blackens. Transfer to a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Using paper towels, peel off blackened skin.
• Lay peppers flat on a clean work surface. Using a sharp paring knife, cut open peppers and remove seeds and ribs. Slice into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, and season with salt and black pepper; set aside.
• Slice goat cheese into four pieces, and place directly on grill. Heat, covered, until cheese starts to soften and melt. Remove from grill.
• Place one piece on each serving plate. Arrange lettuce leaves next to cheese on each plate. Drizzle greens and cheese with remaining tablespoon oil; season lightly with salt and black pepper. Divide reserved peppers among plates; serve immediately.

PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, rinse under cold water and drain.
• Whisk together the salad spice mix and Italian dressing.
• In a salad bowl, combine the pasta, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and olives. Pour dressing over salad; toss and refrigerate overnight.

PASTA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the sliced roasted peppers, and stir together for about a minute until well infused with the oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the basil (if using) and goat cheese. Remove from the heat.
• When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Cook until al dente - firm to the bite - following the recommendations on the package. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water into the frying pan, and stir well so that the goat cheese begins to melt. Drain the pasta, and toss immediately with the pepper mixture in the pan. Serve.

PASTA SALAD WITH GRILLED LEMON CHICKEN, ROASTED PEPPERS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a bowl whisk together 3/4 cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup olive oil. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place chicken in a zip-top plastic bag and pour in lemon juice-olive oil marinade. Marinate for 1 hour, turning bag every 15 minutes. In same bowl combine remaining lemon juice and 1/2 cup olive oil to make a dressing, season with salt and pepper and refrigerate. Spray grill racks well with cooking spray and preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess; discard marinade. Brush chicken and peppers well with olive oil and grill until well browned and cooked through. Place peppers in a zip-top plastic bag until cool enough to handle; remove skins and julienne. Remove chicken to a cutting board and cut into strips. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente; drain. Rinse under cold running water until chilled. Toss with a touch of olive oil to prevent sticking and refrigerate. Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and shallot and cook until garlic is just beginning to brown. Add wine and reduce until about a tablespoon or so is left in the pan. Add parsley, basil and olives. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Add to dressing, and combine well. Remove chilled pasta from refrigerator. Add chicken, peppers and dressing. Toss well to coat. Add goat cheese and Romano, toss well to coat and serve immediately.

GRILLED LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Place the chicken on a plate and rub both sides of the chicken fillets with 1-2 Tablespoons lemon pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour to let the flavors develop.
• While the chicken is in the fridge, get the grill ready. When the coals are ready, spray the grill with a nonstick spray and place the chicken on the grill.
• Cook for about 6 minutes and turn over. Cook for another six minutes. Put the chicken on a plate to rest and to collect the juices.
• While the chicken is marinading, get a large pot of water boiling and put in the pasta noodles. Bring back to a boil, stirring the noodles so they don't stick to the bottom. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 7-11 minutes (or until the noodles are tender).
• Drain off the hot water and run a stream of cool water over the noodles until they are cold. Drain off most of the water, add 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil to prevent the noodles from sticking, and drain into a colander.
• To cook the broccoli florets, get a large saucepan with about 3 inches of water in it on the stove. Bring the water to a boil and put the broccoli in and toss to cook evenly. It only needs to cook for about 2-3 minutes, drain off all the water and run cold water on the florets to cool them off and stop the cooking process so they won't be mushy.
• All of these steps can be done ahead of time to make the salad easy to assemble. To make the dressing right in the bowl for the salad, place 1 Tablespoon lemon pepper with 1 Tablespoon water in a large serving bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. With a whisk, blend in the vinegar, oil, mustard, and honey.
• Slice the chicken into 1 inch cubes and put in the bowl with the dressing, adding the cooked pasta, broccoli, celery, oranges, and onion. Toss to coat.
• TIP: To get the segments from the orange, with a sharp paring knife, cut off the top and bottom of the orange so it will sit evenly on the cutting surface. Using the paring knife, cut down along the peel, following the shape of the fruit, removing any peel and white rind. Hold the fruit in your hand and carefully cut along both sides of each segment, going towards the center to free each segment. If you do this over a plate, you get all the beautiful juices from the fruit to add to the vinaigrette.

HEALTHY GRILLED CHICKEN, RED PEPPER, AND GOAT CHEESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Spray chicken breast with non-stick cooking spray on each side (I use PAM extra virgin olive oil, but any kind will do).
• Squeeze about 1/4 of a lemon over each side of the chicken breast.
• Wash and chop fresh rosemary and sprinkle about HALF of the amount you have over the entire chicken breast.
• Salt, pepper, and paprika both sides of the chicken (just a pinch of salt, a good amount of pepper, and enough paprika to give your chicken breast some beautiful red color).
• Keep the red onion in its circular shape if you can (it's easiest for grilling in that shape) and slice the red pepper into pieces no bigger than the palm of your hand.
• Spray red onion and red pepper with olive oil spray
• Put chicken breast, red onion, and red pepper on grill and cook until chicken breast is no longer pink on the inside (I like to butterfly my chicken breast, which means that after the chicken has cooked on both sides for about 4-5 minutes, you give it a slice down the side, open it up, and put the inside back on the grill. You don't have to slice the entire chicken, I usually just try to open up the thickest part of the chicken, which is sometimes still pink, and make sure that part gets put directly on the grill).
• When the chicken starts looking like it only needs a few more minutes, add the splash the other 1/4 of the lemon and sprinkle the remaining rosemary on both sides (rosemary needs to be cooked for at least a minute or so, so make sure that wherever you put the rosemary gets grilled up a little bit).
• The chicken should take around 10 minutes, depending on how thick it is.
• Flip the red pepper and red onion when they start to get some darker grill marks (you want to make sure that they are nicely cooked, but not charred black). They shouldn't take longer than your chicken breast to cook.
• Toast your wheat bun (either throw it on the grill for a minute or warm it up in the toaster oven until it starts to brown.
• Spread the goat cheese on the warm bun.
• Spread the dijon on the other side of the bun
• Slice your grilled red pepper and onion into strips.
• Top the bun with red pepper, onion, chicken breast, and shredded lettuce.
• Enjoy!
• *I ate this last night with a side of Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips (which was a great combination), but for guests, I would recommend either a homemade light pasta salad or oven baked sweet potato steak fries to go with this dish!*.