I Heart Summer BBQ at Kristin's - Great Lunch Recipes
Posted by Juliette Kopecky on Wed, Aug 04, 2010 @ 11:34 AM
My friend Kristin is a great cook, so when she invited us over for lunch a few weekends ago, of course we accepted. It was a ridiculously hot Saturday afternoon in Boston. Not sure about actuals, but it certainly felt like it was 100 degrees out with 100% humidity. She made the perfect lunch for such a day. Wonderfully light, refreshing and flavorful. We had blackened chicken with mango salsa, lemon shrimp pasta salad and fresh gazpacho served up with some great Prosecco that our friends Mike and Danielle brought over. I contributed with a bottle of Rose wine I had been saving from my favorite winery, Williamson Wines.
Don't you just love how colorful this is? And leave it to Kristin to coordinate the food with the plates!
Everything was amazing. The mango salsa was a perfect compliment to the chicken. It definitely had a little bit of a spicy kick to it too. But I think my favorite was the lemon shrimp pasta salad. Served cold, it was perfect on such a hot day with its light lemon flavor and crisp asparagus crunch. And the gazpacho. Well, I could have drank that straight from the cup.
And to top it all off, Kristin made the most amazing Oreo and Fudge Ice Cream Cake for dessert. I'm trying to get her to do a guest post on it. Because honestly, this cake needs its own full-length post. But I'll give you a little preview.
Blackened Chicken with Mango Salsa (Adapted from Allrecipes.com)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chopped mango, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons olive oil
Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, and garlic in a bowl. Rub the chicken with the mixture. Place them in a sealable container and chill in refrigerator 3 hours.
Combine the mango, bell pepper, Spanish onion, green onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in a bowl and stir. Add the lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and toss to combine. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour.
Stir together the paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt, pepper, thyme, basil, oregano, and garlic powder in a bowl. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and gently rinse with water and then dip each side of each chicken in the spice mixture to coat.
Heat your grill until hot and cook the chicken until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F. Serve the chicken immediately with the mango salsa.
Lemon Shrimp Pasta Salad (Adapted from Kraft Recipes)
3 cups (8 oz.) farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked
1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 lb. cooked large shrimp (20 to 25 count)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Cook pasta as directed on package, adding asparagus to the cooking water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time. Drain and rinse well with cold water, draining again afterwards.
In a large bowl, mix the dressing, oregano and lemon peel. Add the pasta mixture, shrimp and tomatoes, mixing lightly. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Gazpacho (Adapted from The Food Network)
2 1/2 pounds vine-ripened or canned tomatoes, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, or to taste
1 tablespoons olive oil
Ice water or tomato juice for thinning soup
Croutons and finely diced tomato, green bell pepper, and cucumber, for garnish
In a blender puree chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and cucumber, garlic paste, vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Chill soup well, preferably overnight.
Thin soup with ice water or tomato juice and serve topped with croutons and finely diced vegetables.