June 14: Pan-Roasted Garlic and Herb Chicken Breasts with Chopped Salad and Creamy Caper Dressing

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

   Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 6- to 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

4 tablespoons mayonnaise, plain yogurt, or sour cream

3 tablespoons capers, drained, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 teaspoons dried dill

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 pint red cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 head of lettuce, thinly sliced

6 scallions, thinly sliced

1 seedless cucumber, cut in quarters lengthwise, then sliced into bite-size pieces

   Crusty bread, sliced and toasted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a shallow dish, combine the garlic, parsley, hot sauce, 3 tablespoons of the EVOO, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and coat in the mixture; marinate for 5 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, in a bowl combine the mayonnaise with the capers, red wine vinegar, dill, mustard, and some pepper. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of the EVOO.

Preheat a large nonstick oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the hot pan and brown on each side for 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for about 15 minutes, or until it is cooked through.

While the chicken is roasting, in a salad bowl combine the cherry tomatoes, radicchio, scallions, and cucumbers. Pour the creamy caper dressing over the chopped veggies and toss to combine.

Serve the chicken breasts whole or sliced with some of the dressed chopped salad and the toasted bread.

4 SERVINGS

This meal was delicious. I really liked how moist the chicken was, and I love creamy dressing. I changed the fresh dill to dried, I changed the radicchio to lettuce, and I changed the yellow tomatoes to red. I used mayonnaise.