Vinaigrette of the Week

About two years ago I printed out a recipe for a Chicken and Zucchini Salad. But then it got filed away in my recipe binder and I forgot about it. A couple of weeks ago I came across it again and decided to make it. Before I re-read the recipe, I thought it was going to be real chicken salad...you know the mayo-celery-chicken type thing, but it wasn't. I went ahead with my idea anyway, but replaced the typical mayo binder with the vinaigrette dressing. I swapped the mint for oregano because I have it growing in my garden. And to cut calories, I doubled the lemon juice and added more mustard. I made an extra large batch of the dressing (I think I doubled it) and as you already know I've been eating it like crazy...it's that good!

Oregano-Dijon-Lemon Vinaigrette
adapted from FoodandWine.com

Makes about 1 1/4 cup (20 tablespoons)

1/2 cup lemon juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh oregano (leaves only...no stems) or 2 teaspoons dried
salt and pepper

In a blender, combine the lemon juice, garlic, and both mustards and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly pour in olive oil. Add the oregano and blend until smooth. Taste and then season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

Per tablespoon - 51 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein (exchanges: 1 fat)

So to make the salad, I seasoned 3 chicken breasts and 4 squash (a combo of zucchini and yellow squash cut lengthwise into quarters) with salt and pepper and grilled them. Once cooled, I chopped it all into bite sized pieces and combined it with chopped bell pepper, more oregano, and sliced green onions. I then mixed in the dressing, a few tablespoons at a time, until the salad was moist but not runny.

I've made this twice so far and the second time I used all yellow squash and also added chopped grilled green beans and diced tomatoes. This salad has lots of Greek flavors, so add what ever veggies you think will "fit" with a Greek meal. I serve it over a bed of lettuce and sometimes top with a little feta.