It was overcast today and I walked quickly from errand to errand happy to arrive at my final destination: the Spa.  I’ve been doing hour long infrared sauna sessions once a week and as the rain started to fall, it felt reassuring to step out of it and into the warmth that quickly enveloped me and that signature wood and eucalyptus scent that saunas have.  There are days that I take my yoga mat and stretch out in the sauna but today I just sat in meditation, focusing on my breathing and envisioning dreams for the future including what wonderfulness I’d create for dinner.

This is what I came up with.

Start by marinading the chicken so that it sits for a good hour before going on the grill.  You can oven bake it as well but we have our BBQ just outside the door on our patio and even though by dinner it was raining quite hard, my sweet boyfriend volunteered to stand out in the rain to grill our chicken. Bless his heart.

For the Chicken

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6 bone-in chicken thighs (skin on or off up to you)

In a large bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon, honey, Worcestershire, garlic, thyme, oregano and rosemary; season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add the chicken and mix to coat. Set aside and allow to marinade for an hour.

For the Salad

• 2 beets, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup candied walnuts (I bought them at Wholefoods)
• 4 packed cups of organic black kale, washed, de-veined and sliced finely
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove minced
• A pinch of sea salt
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the beets on a baking sheet and drizzle over top with olive oil.  Toss the beets to cover them in the oil. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until they can be pierced with a fork.

While the beets were in the oven, I prepared the dressing by combining all the ingredients EXCEPT the oil in a medium sized bowl. Slowly add the oil in a thin steady stream while whisking constantly for about a minute.

Add the kale, Feta cheese and candied walnuts to a large bowl. When the beets come out of the oven let them cool slightly then add them to the bowl too. Pour the dressing over top and toss well so that everything is coated.

While I made the salad and put the corn on the cob (which I was craving) on the stove, my boyfriend grilled the chicken and dinner was served at 7pm sharp.  I started cooking at 6pm so I think 1 hour from start to finish isn’t bad for a lovely meal.  And it was good.

 

Love,

Jennifer