REPOSTING: our dear friends are visiting from out of town (or country, i should say), and because it’s the hottest time of the year in southern california (which means our nights are actually warm for a change), we decided to have an outdoor barbeque to welcome them. my contribution to the meal was persian style chicken kabobs, a side vegetable, and a green salad. when i went to the market, they were just putting out a wonderful array of local organic tomatoes of all colors, shapes and sizes-the nice lady in produce encouraged me to try them, and the yellow ones were so sweet you could almost use them for dessert. it was not a hard decision-the side was going to be a simple baby tomato salad with lots of fresh basil and balsamic vinegar (sweet & sour). on to the meat section where the butcher offered to cut up the organic chicken breasts for me in small chunks (such a treat)! for the salad, i settled on one of my all time favorites: butter lettuce, radishes, fennel, scallions, and cilantro with a simple olive oil & lemon dressing. my sister brought her spicy rice (wait until you see the picture) and tri-tip steaks. it all came together perfectly.
tomato basil salad (for 6) :
1.wash and slice (the larger) tomatoes in halves or quarters (about 3 cups)
2.add a chifonade of fresh basil (wrap basil leaves together in a roll, then thinly slice)
3. dressing: 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1-2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar, cracked pepper & sea salt to taste.
chicken kabobs (12 bamboo skewers):
- 7-8 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts
- 1 large yellow onion, finely minced (or pulsed in a food processor)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs greek style yogurt (2% or non fat is fine)
- 2 small lemons or 1-2 limes, juiced
- 1 heaping teaspoon ground saffron
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
1. cut the chicken in to cubes (separate the filet, cut in 1/2 or 1/3, then cut each breast in half, and each half in about 4-5 pieces).
2. add the cubed chicken to a large bowl with all the other ingredients and combine well. allow the chicken to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes or as long as a few hours. if you plan to marinate for a long time, leave the lemon juice out and add it 30 minutes before skewering.
3. use pre-soaked bamboo skewers-each skewer will take about 6-7 pieces of chicken. the skewers are ready for the grill-you can cover and refrigerate them this way until you are ready to grill. here’s the process in pictures:
2. add the cubed chicken to a large bowl with all the other ingredients and combine well. allow the chicken to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes or as long as a few hours. if you plan to marinate for a long time, leave the lemon juice out and add it 30 minutes before skewering.
3. use pre-soaked bamboo skewers-each skewer will take about 6-7 pieces of chicken. the skewers are ready for the grill-you can cover and refrigerate them this way until you are ready to grill. here’s the process in pictures:
leili’s delicious spicy rice (finished outside on the grill)!!-recipe coming soon
my favorite butter lettuce salad with sliced radishes & fennel, cilantro leaves, and chopped scallions:
for dressing: extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon or lime juice, sea salt & freshly ground pepper. simply good.
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