Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken

INGREDIENTS

•  Juice of 1 lemon, approximately 3 tablespoons 
•  2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil 
•  1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 2 medium cloves 
•  1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt) 
•  1/4 teaspoon pepper 
•  1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
•  1 to 2 pounds chicken breasts (see note) 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk together all the marinade ingredients. 
2. Place chicken in a ziploc bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over chicken, tossing to coat the chicken evenly with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but up to 18 hours. 
3. Preheat grill to medium- or medium-high (I use about 375 degrees on my pellet grill) and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees at the thickest part of the chicken. (The chicken can also be cooked in a skillet on the stove or broiled in the oven.) 

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Avocado Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS

DRESSING:

•  3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice (or a combination of both) 
•  2 tablespoons olive oil 
•  1/2 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt) 
•  Pinch black pepper (I use coarsely ground pepper) 

SALAD:

•  2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (see note) 
•  1 cup corn kernels, fresh (cooked) or frozen and thawed 
•  2 medium/large ripe avocados, peeled and diced 
•  1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 
•  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley 

OPTIONAL ADD-INS:

•  Halved cherry tomatoes 
•  Cooked, crumbled bacon 
•  Feta cheese 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well. 
2. Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine. Add optional add-ins if desired. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. 
3. Serve immediately.

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Note:  I used all of the optional add-ins.  We LOVED it!  For the chicken, I used Mel's Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken which I will post.

Lemon Butter Green Beans with Cranberries, Walnuts and Feta

Ingredients

• 1 lb green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 Tbsp butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Salt
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta
• 2 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and boil 3 - 5 minutes until tender crisp. Drain then immediately rinse under cold water. Drain well. 
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add in drained green beans and saute 1 minute or until heated through. 
3. Toss in walnuts, cranberries and lemon juice and season with salt to taste. 
4. Sprinkle in feta and lemon zest. Serve warm.
5. Recipe source: Cooking Classy