June 2019

Citrus Mustard Chicken with Spring Pea Quinoa Salad

Wanted to serve something fresh and green with a mild crisp flavor. This Pea salad fit the bill since green Peas are ripe and in season during late spring early summer. Peas are sometimes overlooked which is too bad because they are a delicious addition to many dished.

This months wine choice is Great Frogs Chardonnay. The Chardonnay is chosen due to its bright and complex flavor which pairs beautifully with the lemon vinaigrette in the dressing as well as the Citrus Chicken.

I hope you will enjoy this entree as much as we did!

Citrus Marinade for Chicken

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 small orange or 1/2 of a large one

2 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP Stone ground mustard

2-3 TSP honey

1/2 salt , dash of black pepper

1/4 TSP of cardamom

mix all ingredients together into a small dish with lid or a ziplock bag.

Chicken

4 chicken thighs. bone-in , skin removed. rinsed and pat dry with paper towel.

place chicken in dish , cover or in ziplock. refrigerate for 1 hour up to overnight.

when ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

heat skillet to med high heat then place chicken into hot skillet, brown on both sides.

place in oven for 20 min, Loosely position foil over chicken for an additional 10 min, remove and serve with Pea Quinoa salad.

Pea Quinoa Salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2-3 cups fresh or frozen peas

1/2 cup feta cheese

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup almonds, pulsed in a food processor until crushed

1/4 cup green onion, chopped, (optional)

Dressing

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (1-2 large lemons)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp salt (more to taste)

a couple TBSP honey

Putting it Together

1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions. I advise to make it the day before or earlier and chill so it will separate for the salad.

2. For frozen Peas, bring a pot of water to boil and then turn off the heat. Add the Peas and cover until bright green. Drain.

For fresh Peas, bring pot of water to boil, add peas turn to simmer for 8-10 minutes, they will turn bright green before they are actually ready so it is advisable to test their tenderness before draining.

3. Toss the quinoa with the peas, feta, bacon, herbs and almonds.

4. Puree all dressing ingredients in a food processor. Toss the dressing with the salad ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on bed of spring greens or spinach. I sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds on top too!

Notes: the Pea Quinoa salad a slight variation from Pinch Of Yum,

‘spring quinoa salad with honey lemon vinaigrette’