I love the summer! I love the heat, the sun, the clothes, and oh my do I love the food! This is the time of year that I actually love to eat a variety of vegetables because everything actually tastes GOOD. While I love to cook, standing in the hot kitchen is not so fun when you are sweating the whole time. The summer food and weather inspires quick, lightly cooked meals that are simple and beautiful. This dinner board is perfect for guests because it is tasty and beautiful. Here is how I put it together:
For the Herbed Chicken Breasts:
2 large chicken breasts
1 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 T finely chopped fresh parsley
A clove of garlic, minced
1 T lime juice
2 T avocado oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
pepper, to taste
Combine all of the above ingredients in a shallow dish. Add the chicken and let it marinade for about 30 minutes in the fridge, longer if you have the time. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of your board. When the chicken is done marinating, cook it on the grill over medium heat. The time it takes to cook through will depend on the thickness of the chicken (kind of a duh!, but I have to say it so you don’t eat under cooked chicken). I usually grill mine for about 9 or 10 minutes per side. Nothing is more gross than under cooked chicken. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it cool, then cut it into strips.
For the Dinner Board:
I sliced red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, jicama, celery, avocado, black olives, fresh cilantro, and lime.
Arrange everything on the board to make it look super pretty. I served it with plantain chips, Siete grain-free tortilla chips, and big leafs of romaine lettuce. Our neighbors brought over some delicious homemade tomatillo salsa and it was a nice summer fiesta!
