Cooking with Rania: Grilled Chicken over a Tuscan White Bean Salad
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- This recipe is one of Rania Harris' most requested in the summertime!
Grilled Chicken over a Tuscan White Bean Salad with Pesto Drizzle
Grilled chicken:
- 8 - 6 ounce boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- A few dashes of Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Tuscan White Bean Salad:
- 2 - 15 oz cans Cannellini beans - rinsed and drained
- 1 cup thinly sliced red Bermuda onion
- ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pesto: (make ahead - see recipe below)
For the chicken:
Place chicken breasts in a glass pan. Mix lemon juice, garlic, herbs, olive oil and Frank's hot sauce in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper pour a small amount of the marinade over chicken and refrigerate for at least one hour. Reserve the remaining marinade for later in the recipe. Grill chicken until just cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer, about 4 minutes per side.
For the beans:
Combine the beans, onion, parsley and oregano in a bowl. Whisk the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together in another bowl. Add to the beans and toss to coat.
To assemble: Platter the White Bean salad and top with the grilled chicken. Pour a small amount of the marinade over the hot chicken, reserving any leftover in your refrigerator for a later use, Drizzle the pesto over the chicken and serve immediately. Serves: 8
For the Pesto:
- 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- Puree all ingredients in processor. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Transfer pesto to a bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto. Cover and refrigerate.
