Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic, divided
- 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 Gardein Tuscan chicken breasts (without sauce)
- 3 cups peeled and cubed cucumber
- 1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup crumbled vegan feta (such as Sunergia)
- 2 tablespoons chopped and pitted kalamata olives
- 2 tomatoes*
- 1/2 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
- 1/4 cup peeled and grated cucumber
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2. Remove the chicken from the bag and grill for 5 minutes on each side, then cut into 1-inch pieces.
Note: this was another great occasion for me to use my Griddler counter-top grill, which lets me pretend I live in a home with a backyard instead of a New York City apartment. Use a real grill, of course, if you prefer, or you can also broil the chicken in the oven for the same amount of time.
3. Core the tomatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Combine the tomatoes in a large bowl with the chopped chicken, remaining 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic, 3 cups cubed cucumber, red onion, feta, and kalamata olives. Set aside.
4. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, 1/4 cup grated cucumber, white wine vinegar, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, ground red pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken mixture and toss well.
To continue with the Greek theme of the evening, I served the salad with simple Greek pita wedges: cut 2 (6-inch) pitas into 6 wedges each. Arrange the pita wedges on a baking sheet. Coat with olive oil-flavored cooking spray and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes, until golden and crisp.
*My note on the tomatoes tonight is the same as for my Tuscan Panzanella - despite the multi-colored heirloom tomatoes all around this time of year, your best bet for this salad are plump, red, ripe tomatoes. Aim for the 2 tomatoes to be about 1 pound total. You can easily core them by cutting the tomatoes into quarters, and then slicing the core out of each quarter before chopping.
For a fun dessert to end the evening, I served vanilla non-dairy ice cream (my favorite is the plain vanilla from Soy Delicious), topped with an amazing new find - Suzanne's Just Like Honey rice nectar. An even closer substitute for honey than agave nectar, this was a delicious discovery. Drizzle it over the vegan vanilla of your choice, and sprinkle with a little cinnamon.
Nutrition Info:
4 servings (2 cups), Calories 259
Tasting Notes:
This salad was divine - Zeus or Athena, take your pick. Wonderfully creamy dressing, and bursting with flavor from the feta, kalamata olives, ripe tomatoes, and yummy chicken. There was just a touch too much red pepper heat in the dressing for my taste when eating the salad alone, but once scooped up on a pita wedge, the balance was perfect.
Rating:
5
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