With Spring's sunny arrival, these kinds of vibrant colored and flavored dishes are just what we all need. Winter warm & heavy eating has passed and we are all looking forward to the warmth the spring sun can give.
Citrus-Grilled Chicken with Grilled Pineapple-Mango Salsa
serves 6
6-8 chicken breasts - cut in half lengthwise (this thins them out, making cooking time a minute or 2 per side, depending on thickness. 2 cm or about 1/2 an inch is ideal)
1 1/2 grapefruits
1 1/2 lemons
1 1/2 limes
s&p
Grilled Pineapple-Mango Salsa
serves 6
200 g pineapple - sliced about 1 cm or 1/4 of an inch
250 g mango
45 g red bell pepper
5 g chopped cilantro
5 g chopped basil
1 1/2 limes zested and juiced
1 1/2 t salsa verde (green chili salsa)
7 g minced shallots
chili pepper of choice - minced and to your heat level. try 1 teaspoon at a time
s&p
*If you intend to use a BBQ for this recipe it would be wise to make the salsa in advance without the pineapple. Then, grill it before you grill the chicken and add it to the already prepared salsa. If you plan on using an indoor grill pan on the stovetop, you can grill the pineapple in advance and mix it together with the rest of the ingredients. You can also turn the grill pan off and wait till dinner time to cook the chicken
Marinate the chicken breasts in the zest from 1 lime, 1 lemon and half of the grapefruit. Juice all 3 citrus and add to the cut chicken with s&p to marinate for about 2 hours. Set in the fridge until an hour before grilling.
Cut the mango in small cubes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, then set in the fridge to infuse, making the flavors combine and become more powerful.
When your BBQ is ready (it can be quite hot because these pieces of chicken have been cut thinner), bbq your pineapple about 30 seconds to a minute per side. Let it cool, cut into small cubes and add to the salsa. Then grill your chicken breast pieces about 1-2 minutes per side depending on thickness. Never forget when you cook meat, that even after you take it off the heat, it continues to cook. So try not to overcook this chicken or it can get dry.
I like to serve this with any kind of rice dish, but in all honesty, it will go with just about any side dish you can think of.