Citrus Grilled Chicken with Citrus Rice Salad

Another day, another picnic-perfect summer meal.

Consider this for summer al fresco dinners, pot lucks, or picnics.  I am including directions for both the chicken and the rice, but you can easily make one without the other.

I made the salad with leftover grains I had in the pantry (quinoa, brown rice, wheat berries), but it would work with anything you have on hand.

As far as meal plans go for this week, I plan on spending lots of time at the pool (hopefully the weather agrees with me), so I don't have much of a meal plan.  We are having teriyaki steaks with sugar snap peas and rice, these Mediterranean Pizzas, and a big batch of this Quinoa Salad, which has quickly become my latest obsession.  I am keeping my summer meal plans laid back, just the way a summer vacation should be.

Citrus Grilled Chicken with Citrus Rice Salad
Makes 8 Servings
280 cals / 3g fat / /34g carbs / 34g protein

1/2 cup orange juice

1 TB olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 TB white wine vinegar

2 oranges (3 TB orange zest + the orange segments)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 bunch green onions

1 bunch mint, about 1/4 cup chopped

2 lbs chicken breasts

1 cup shredded carrot

1 red pepper

4 cups cooked rice (or any combination of grains)

1.  Trim all the fat and junk off the chicken and place in a large zip loc bag.

2.  Whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, orange zest, salt, and pepper.  Thinly slice the green onions.  Add half the onions to the liquid and stir.  Reserve the rest for the rice.  Pour about half the marinade over the chicken, squeeze out any excess air, and seal tightly.  Allow chicken to marinate 2 - 24 hours.  Then grill chicken until done, about 4 minutes per side (may be longer depending on how thick your chicken is).  Thinly slice.

3.  Chop the mint and thinly slice the red pepper.  Cut the peel and pith from the oranges and cur out the segments.  Combine the remaining green onions, mint, orange segments red pepper, carrots, and rice together in a large bowl.  Add the remaining marinade and stir until well mixed.  Serve chicken over the rice salad, warm, at room temp, or cold.

And here it is, all packed up for a picnic at the zoo....

Another day, another picnic-perfect summer meal.

Consider this for summer al fresco dinners, pot lucks, or picnics.  I am including directions for both the chicken and the rice, but you can easily make one without the other.

I made the salad with leftover grains I had in the pantry (quinoa, brown rice, wheat berries), but it would work with anything you have on hand.

As far as meal plans go for this week, I plan on spending lots of time at the pool (hopefully the weather agrees with me), so I don't have much of a meal plan.  We are having teriyaki steaks with sugar snap peas and rice, these Mediterranean Pizzas, and a big batch of this Quinoa Salad, which has quickly become my latest obsession.  I am keeping my summer meal plans laid back, just the way a summer vacation should be.

Citrus Grilled Chicken with Citrus Rice Salad
Makes 8 Servings
280 cals / 3g fat / /34g carbs / 34g protein

1/2 cup orange juice

1 TB olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 TB white wine vinegar

2 oranges (3 TB orange zest + the orange segments)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 bunch green onions

1 bunch mint, about 1/4 cup chopped

2 lbs chicken breasts

1 cup shredded carrot

1 red pepper

4 cups cooked rice (or any combination of grains)

1.  Trim all the fat and junk off the chicken and place in a large zip loc bag.

2.  Whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, orange zest, salt, and pepper.  Thinly slice the green onions.  Add half the onions to the liquid and stir.  Reserve the rest for the rice.  Pour about half the marinade over the chicken, squeeze out any excess air, and seal tightly.  Allow chicken to marinate 2 - 24 hours.  Then grill chicken until done, about 4 minutes per side (may be longer depending on how thick your chicken is).  Thinly slice.

3.  Chop the mint and thinly slice the red pepper.  Cut the peel and pith from the oranges and cur out the segments.  Combine the remaining green onions, mint, orange segments red pepper, carrots, and rice together in a large bowl.  Add the remaining marinade and stir until well mixed.  Serve chicken over the rice salad, warm, at room temp, or cold.

And here it is, all packed up for a picnic at the zoo....