Scallops and Chicken

After eating so much red meat lately, I decided to switch things up a bit.

On Monday, I made scallops with polenta and spinach. Very simple and tasty. The spinach and scallops were both separately sauteed in olive oil, butter, and plenty of garlic. The polenta I bought pre-made. Everything was topped with a healthy helping of lemon juice. Yum! For dessert, I made a peach and blueberry cobbler. Sadly, there was no ice cream on hand but it still satisfied our sweet tooth.

On Tues, I roasted halibut filets in olive oil with parsley and lemon slices. Paired with leftover polenta and sauteed zucchini, this was another light summer meal.

Tonight, I made a curried chicken salad that Tom and Christina recommended from Cooks Illustrated. Wow so good! This recipe was extremely easy to make. Pop the chicken in the oven, shred it, and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Tastes great and I'm sure it'll be even better tomorrow.


Curried Chicken Salad
Courtesy of Cooks Illustrated

2 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (large, at least 1 1/2 pounds each)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Table salt

For Salad
2 medium ribs celery , cut into small dice
2 medium scallions , white and green parts, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves or parsley leaves
3/4 - 1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 small lemon
6 tablespoons golden raisins
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon honey

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set breasts on small, foil-lined jelly roll pan. Brush with oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature, remove skin and bones, and shread meat into bite-sized pieces (about 5 cups). (Can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 2 days.)

2. Mix all salad ingredients (including chicken) together in large bowl, including salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)