April 12: Grilled Chicken Paillard with Grilled Red Onion and Asparagus Salad

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
2 large red onions, cut into 1/2-inch-thick disks
1 bunch of thin asparagus, trimmed of thick woody ends
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium-size plastic food storage bags
4 6- to 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
   Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
20 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped or torn
5 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
   Crusty bread

Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan until very hot.

Drizzle EVOO over the onion disks and the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Place the onions and asparagus on the grill. Grill the onions for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until charred and slightly tender.

Grill the asparagus, turning frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender.

Coarsely chop the grilled onions and asparagus and reserve in a salad bowl.

While the veggies are grilling, prepare the chicken paillard. Sprinkle a little water in four medium-size food storage bags. Place 1 chicken breast in each bag and seal it up, pushing out any excess air. Using the bottom of a heavy pot or pan, pound each breast until flat and thin, just shy of bustin' out of the bag.

In a large shallow bowl, combine the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the EVOO, salt, and pepper. Add the pounded chicken breasts to the bowl and coat evenly.

Transfer the seasoned chicken in a single layer to the hot grill and cook for 3 or 4 minutes on each side.

While the chicken is grilling, make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. In a slow steady stream, whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of EVOO. To the salad bowl with the chopped grilled onions and asparagus, add the basil, chopped romaine lettuce, and grape tomatoes. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat and combine.

Serve the grilled chicken with the grilled red onion and asparagus salad and some crusty bread.

4 SERVINGS

This was a nice light meal for tonight. My in-laws went home this morning, so it was nice to have something low-maintenance to cook. I didn't even have to use the stove. I used my waffle iron/grill to cook everything. It cuts the cooking time in half since it cooks from both sides. That's nice.

I made this meal last year with my George Foreman Grill and I remember it being tastier. Maybe it's even better if you use a real grill. It was still good. I only made half the amount of called-for chicken and it was plenty to go around. I have a lot of leftover salad which will be good for lunch tomorrow.