Grilled Chicken with Parsley Salad and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a healthy, simple meal, great for busy weekday nights.
Grilled Chicken with Parsley Salad and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
I can’t believe we’re already in March and have had such a mild winter. Not that I’m complaining as I’m really not a cold weather girl. It feels like Spring is right around the corner and soon we will be thrown into the whirlwind of Spring sports with the boys. Although it is still too cold to grill outside, I made this Grilled Chicken with Parsley Salad and Sun-Dried Tomato dish the other night using a stove-top grill pan. It made it feel like Spring for a day.
I’ve never had parsley salad before so when I spotted this recipe for chicken served with parsley salad by Darina Allen on BBC Food, I was intrigued, but also a bit skeptical. The only time I’ve eaten a dish where parsley is the main ingredient in a dish is when I’ve had tabouleh. The combination of parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, basil pesto and worcestershire sauce initially sounded a bit odd to me mainly because of the worcestershire sauce. As I plated the grilled chicken and parsley salad, I was worried there wouldn’t be enough flavor in this dish. However, my fears were allayed once I took a bite of chicken, parsley salad and some pesto. All the flavors seemed to come together in this nice light dish. That’s why Darina Allen is a a celebrated chef and I’m not ;).
Today, a group of bloggers is celebrating Darina Allen, one of the Top 50 Women Game Changers In Food. I had never heard of Darina Allen before this week, which is what makes this weekly event so interesting. Darina Allen is a culinary celebrity in Ireland and has been called “The Julia Child of Ireland” by the San Francisco Chronicle. Not only is she an Irish chef, teacher, food writer, newspaper columnist, cookbook author, and TV personality, but Darina is also the owner/founder of the internationally renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland. Ballymaloe Cookery School is located in the middle of a 100 acre organic farm that grows much of the food used at the school and a nearby bed and breakfast. Darina also founded first Farmers Market in Ireland and is involved on an ongoing basis in helping to set up farmers markets in Ireland and is part of the Slow Food Movement.
Darina suggests serving this Grilled Chicken and Parsley Salad with rustic roast potatoes or buffalo chips. I had no idea what buffalo chips were, so I simply sliced up some red potatoes and tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika. Roasted at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, these potato “chips” went nicely with the chicken and parsley salad. My boys enjoyed this chicken dish with some extra basil dressing. Served with a tossed green salad, dinner was complete.
Grilled Chicken with Parsley Salad and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Recipe
Ingredients
Basil Dressing
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 shallot chopped
Parsley Salad
- 2 cups Italian curly parsley stalks and stems removed
- a few spoonfuls of Basil Dressing
- a few dashes worcestershire sauce
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes cut into slivers
- Parmesan cheese shards I used a peeler
Grilled Chicken
- 6 chicken breast cutlets
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Basil Dressing
-
Place Basil Dressing ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
Parsley Salad
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Toss all Parsley Salad ingredients together in a medium bowl, except for Parmesan cheese.
Grilled Chicken
-
Lightly brush chicken cutlets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook in
-
stovetop grill pan or on the grill until cooked through.
To Serve
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Place Grilled Chicken on plate with a generous portion of Parsley Salad. Top with Parmesan cheese shards.
Recipe Notes
Serve with oven roasted potatoes. My kids enjoyed this is the extra Basil Dressing on the side.
This is the perfect early spring dinner. I’m all for using parsley as a real ingredient rather than just a garnish, so that salad looks really good.
Sounds like a quick and easy dinner. It’s nice to have a long list of those.
What a wonderful recipe you picked to showcase Darina. I bookmarked it for later. I love the dressing ingredients. I may incorporate that into something different altogether. Thanks for sharing with us.
This is such a nice light Spring meal! That first parsley that comes from the herb garden is always such a treat!
Mmmmm I’m loving how light and refreshing this looks. It looks perfect for spring, but I’m sure it’d cheer you up on chilly, wintery days too! Great pick, Jeanette.
What a simply lovely dinner!! So light and perfect for a quick meal. Love the dressing for the salad…sounds delicious!
What a beautiful dish…I love the colors. I’ve always meant to try a parsley salad, but I never remember til I see one mentioned. Delicious dish. 🙂
I am definitely looking forward to Spring and I was pleasantly surprised by how well the parsley salad went with the simply grilled chicken.
I can’t wait for spring to arrive. We actually had some snow here today!
Love the recipe – it’s the perfect “spring” dish.
What a great salad utilizing curly parsley — which by the way, if often not used as much.
i’ve never used worcester with veggies before, only meat! what an interesting ingredient for a parsley salad! thanks for sharing the delicious, healthy meal, jeanette. 🙂
This really looks delicious and I love that a parsley salad is a component of the dish. What a perfect example of how good a cook she actually is. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
WE are moving over to lighter dishes and fresher flavours as Spring gets closer and closer.
I just love this series, Jeanette. Darina Allen is a new-to-me chef and, if this recipe is any indication, it looks as though she has some great recipe ideas. The parsley salad has me intrigued.
Oooo, love the idea of the basil dressing!
Something about parsley and basil just reminds me of spring. Great dish!
I Love Darina Allen – and also this wonderful meal – parsley salad in particular – YUM
Mary x
I love the parsley salad.
What a lovely salad! After this week of heavy eating, I think this is just the kind of meal I need to have!
This is definitely on the lighter side, and with Spring right around the corner, I am all for lighter fare.
Great flavours, here, Jeanette. It all looks so fresh!
I love this salad! The entire dish looks so light and healthy, reminding me of Spring 🙂
I’ve not heard of Darina, either, but after scanning that list of cookbooks, I think I’d enjoy owning a couple. I enjoy most traditional food from other countries and enjoy learning about it. This is a lovely recipe — easy, too. I’m smiling over the buffalo chips. I’ll have to think about that one 🙂
Such an interesting and vibrant salad! Must try soon 🙂
I’m all over that parsley salad! Mixed with a basil dressing it sounds divine.
One of the great joys of my summer garden for the past few years has been my huge stand of flat-leaf parsley. The flavor, compared to what I buy in the store, is completely different, and I’ve been using parsley as a featured herb more since I started to grow my own. This salad is definitely going on my to-make list for this summer.
What a simple and delicious looking meal. I experienced parsley salad a long time ago at one of the first cooking classes I ever took. Didn’t like the consistency back then, but maybe my tastes have changed by now and I should give it another chance. I’m such a fan of Darina Allen. Attending her 13 week cooking program at Balleymaloe has been on my bucket list for years. Maybe someday!
Hi Jeanette!! This is my first visit to your beautiful blog, but it won’t be my last. When I saw this recipe I was intrigued….Parsley Salad? I also had the same reaction to the Worcestershire as you did! Now, after reading your post, I am going to have to try this for myself. I’m looking forward to your Elizabeth Andoh post on Friday!
Cheers~Jill