Cooking with Baby: Summer Salad + {Extra} Sweet Fruit

Priorities have changed at The Blake Home, starting with dinner.  Gone are the days when I can go to the store and pick up a few ingredients on a whim for the perfectly made up in my mind recipe.  Likewise, the time to create such dishes is nonexistent.  The solution?  Well, we are working through it.

Last night was the first time I had one of my girlfriends over for dinner since Hudson's arrival.  Given it was a weekday, there was no one to pass my semi-fussy "I want to be attached to my mom" baby off to during dinner prep (nor during dinner, but that is another story).  What is a mom to do?  Throw on that handy baby carrier wrap and simplify the recipe.

So here is my Grilled Peaches + Chicken Summer Salad along with dessert: chocolate covered grapes.  I'll give you the real recipe for those of you who have ten extra minutes and a dedicated set of hands.  For those with babies just check out the few pictures I was able to snap of last night's version, you'll get the idea pretty quickly.

Grilled Peaches + Chicken Summer Salad: served over a bed of fresh arugula with (preferably) toasted walnut encrusted goat cheese and tossed in a doctored up Champagne Vinaigrette.  *My peaches are pictured pre-grilled.

Chocolate covered Grapes, with a side of Baby Hudson :)  Such an easy and sweet dessert - rinse + dry your favorite grapes and coat them in some melted dark chocolate.  Let them sit in refrigerator to harden at least 15 minutes.

Salad Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts (halved) - one breast per two servings
• Peaches (best late summer) - one per two servings
• Walnuts - half a cup
• Goat Cheese - 4 ounces
• Arugula or Arugula/Spinach Blend
• Jalapeno
• Scallions
• Champagne Vinaigrette Dressing
• Lemons - 2
• Honey
• Sparkling Water
• Sweet White Wine
• Balsamic Vinegar 
• Salt and Pepper

Salad Directions:

Marinate your chicken and peaches a few hours a head of time to ensure the flavors really shine:

Chicken marinate - freshly chopped scallions and jalapeno, mixed with a squeeze of lemon juice, a about half a cup each of Riesling wine, sparkling water, and champagne vinaigrette. Feel free to add in a few slices of peaches too.  Go light on the salt since the lemon juice already adds tartness, and crank that pepper mill based on your preference.

Peaches marinate - you won't need much of anything since the peaches should already be sweet + juicy, but add a dash of the following to your sliced peaches: white wine, local honey (the local part is suppose to help with fighting allergies), and sparkling water. When slicing the peaches I find its best to half them and then slice them lengthwise, aka avoid having them look like orange wedges.  I am sure those soccer mom slicing days are in my future, but for now, I prefer thin flat slices which helps the food presentation.

Don't forget to toast those crushed walnuts (a step I missed last night), followed by rolling a log of goat cheese in them.  Set this in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before dinner to let it harden.  When it is time to serve, slice it up in about 1/4 inch increments.

Next up its time to grill!  Since it is super hot in KC and because I had a baby strapped to the front of me, I opted for grilling both main ingredients on the stove top in a grill pan.  Heat that guy up and throw your chicken on for about 10 minutes turning once.  It should be hot enough to leave the same grill marks you would get outdoors, if not, turn up the heat.  When in doubt, cut the meat in the middle to test doneness.  The chicken can be made about 30 minutes before serving.  This allows time for cooling and to let the flavors set longer.  When you pull it from the pan, just cover with foil and slice before serving.

The peaches are next - put these in the same pan once your company arrives.  You will want to play with the heat, carefully balancing to get the char marks while avoiding a soggy mess.  I suggest medium high for a few minutes, turning once.

My amped up non-baby wearing version of the dressing is: Champagne Vinaigrette dressing mixed with freshly squeezed lemon, a dash of balsamic vinegar, honey, sparkling water, and pepper.   Stir up these ingredients and taste a bit so you can adjust the sour/sweetness with honey or lemon until you find the perfect balance. If you can't find the Vinaigrette at the store mix together olive oil, sugar and a bit of sweet wine.  Baby version is simply the store bought Champagne Vinaigrette dressing, total bummer.

All ingredients are ready to top a bed of arugula, or for those leery of arugula's bite, try a blend of spinach and arugula.  Viola!  You've got yourself a delicious and decadently sweet summer salad, along with a sweet + tart dessert. My baby Hudson was much like the dessert - sweet on the eyes yet oh so tart (aka fussy).  Oh well.  He will be a month tomorrow and is still as cute as ever even while crying while mom is trying to catch up with a friend from out of town. :)  Gotta love life's little miracles, understanding friends, and simplified recipes.