summer supper

Lori came over tonight for a casual summer meal, and when I say summer, I mean summer.  It was hot as blue blazes today.

Speaking of blazing, I've been grilling like a crazy person!  It's just easy to whip up something so tasty.

Tonight, I made these two share-worthy dishes -- one on the grill -- and they were great make-aheads.

Grilled Chicken with Herbs

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
3/4 c. EVOO
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts

In a blender, mix the parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, vinegar and oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Rinse and dry the chicken, place in a glass dish, and pour the marinade over the chicken.  Be sure the chicken is good and covered in the marinade, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight.

Grill chicken on medium heat for 7-8 minutes on each side, or until done.  Let it rest for a few minutes before digging in.

And, a simple salad that you can make ahead of time that's the perfect accompaniment:

Asparagus and Arugula Salad

This makes salad for two, but you can easily adjust for the number of people you're serving.

2 c. arugula
1/4 lb. asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces
2 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 slices prosciutto, sliced into thin strips
Parmesan cheese
1 lemon
EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Blanch the asparagus for about 90 seconds, and then immediately place in an ice bath to stop the cooking.  The little guys will be bright and green and just the right crispness.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet for just a few minutes, over low heat.  They'll be a nice golden brown color.

In the same skillet, cook the prosciutto about five minutes, until the edges crisp up.

All of this can be done ahead of time, and then when it's time to build the salad ...

Place arugula on each plate.  Top with asparagus, pine nuts, and prosciutto.  With a vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan cheese strips to top each salad.  Drizzle with EVOO and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.

Stay cool this holiday weekend, folks.  And fire up the grill!