Thursday, October 5, 2023

Honey Dijon dressing and chicken, feta, tomato pasta salad

 


Aside from whomping up a vinaigrette as needed, the honey mustard dressing used in this salad is kind of our house dressing. Both it and the salad have been stand-bys for decades.

 

Bistro chicken with feta

Adapted from a recipe promoting Athenos crumbled feta. After this much passage of time, I can't remember whether it was in a magazine ad or on a package. It specified their basil-tomato version, but it works fine with any good feta.

Ingredients
1 pound penne or rotini pasta, cooked until al dente and drained
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered if large or halved if small
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
½ cup honey Dijon mustard (or to taste)
cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn (a bit of lemon basil is especially nice in this recipe)
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed and drained)
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, grilled and cut into bite-size chunks

Method
Mix all ingredients. Serve warm or chilled. (If you’re going to serve it chilled, err on the side of more dressing to keep it moist.)

Rating: It's like cheating, really, to combine those ingredients. It comes together quickly and keeps well. It's been on many a picnic with us. You could skip the chicken if you wanted to make it vegetarian and it would still hold up flavor-wise.

 


 

Honey-mustard dressing

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens “Great Cooking for Two.” Any kind of Dijon-ish mustard will do. Makes about ¾ cup.

Ingredients
cup light olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon or coarse grain mustard
1 garlic clove, minced

Method
Whisk ingredients together. Can be made ahead, but it’s best to allow it to come closer to room temperature before using.

Rating: There's a reason this sweet-tangy concoction is our house dressing. It's like the little black dress of dressings. It works as a basting sauce for grilled chicken or veggies, and if a pasta recipe needs just a little brightening, a smidge will give it subtle help.

 


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