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Grilled Vegetables with Arugula, Goat Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

I am lucky to have a husband with a discerning palate.  He puts up with my incessant questions as I pick apart whatever meal I have prepared – ‘do you think this is seasoned well?’ ‘What about texture – does it need more crunch?’ ‘No really, just tell me – you don’t like it, do you?’  He patiently ponders every bite along with me, gently giving his opinion and proudly devouring every forkful, laughing with me when the entire experiment goes completely astray (there was an attempt at stir fry with pork tenderloin that was downright horrible!).  Z also serves as my dishwasher, picking up after me night after night.  And I have come to find a direct correlation between how much of a mess I make in the kitchen and how much he likes the dish I have prepared.  No coincidence, I am sure!  Suffice it to say, this one-pan dinner with a refreshing take on veggies was a big hit.  Drizzle with balsamic reduction (quite possibly the easiest thing I’ve ever made) and top with crisp, peppery arugula and tangy goat cheese and you have a flavorful and satisfying side dish with only one pan to wash.  Not that I am the one doing the dishes… :)

You will need to make the balsamic reduction earlier in the day.  It takes around 45 minutes to cook and then you must allow time for it to cool.  This requires one ingredient – balsamic vinegar.  That’s it.  You will need one cup and will bring the vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan.  Once it is boiling, turn the heat down and simmer gently on medium-low.  Allow to simmer for around 45 minutes or until it has reduced by three quarters.  I put just one quarter cup of the balsamic vinegar in the saucepan at the beginning and noted how far up the side it came.  I knew it had reduced sufficiently once it hit that mark.  Remove to a bowl and allow to cool.  It will thicken as the temperature drops, becoming a beautiful, luxurious syrup that is perfect for adorning a multitude of dishes.  Store in the fridge and it should last for months.

*Fair warning – this process will make you entire kitchen and surrounding rooms smell like vinegar.  It’s a little overwhelming!  And whatever you do, DO NOT put your face right over the pot and inhale.  Unless you enjoy vinegar fumes burning the inside of your nostrils.  Then go for it!*

The veggies were the star of this dinner, but we needed something a bit heartier to go along with it.  On this particular night we had two chicken breasts ready and waiting.  Chicken can frustrate me a bit, as you have to be sure it is cooked all the way through but rarely is the entire piece one even layer.  You end up with one thin, dried out half of a chicken breast, while the other side is just barely cooked through.  Not very appetizing!  To solve this problem and make grilling chicken more enjoyable, I place a piece of saran wrap over the meat and pound it lightly with a rolling pin, just to make it even, not super thin.  I then sprinkled a generous portion of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper over each side and drizzled with olive oil.

Heat a grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat (a saute pan is fine if you don’t have a grill pan).  Once hot but not smoking, add the chicken and cook for three and a half minutes per side.  Remove to a plate and tent with foil, allowing to rest.

While the chicken is cooking, prep the vegetables.  I love the flavor onions develop when they are grilled!  They become sweet but maintain their bite.  Accompanied by zucchini and yellow squash and you have a colorful and tasty trio.  Slice the zucchini and squash vertically into quarter-inch pieces.  Slice the onion into two rounds, each a quarter to one half inch thick.

Just like the chicken, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

While the chicken is resting, drop the heat to medium-low and add the vegetables directly to the pan.  The chicken will have left behind a lot of flavor and we don’t want that to go to waste!  Grill the vegetables for two and a half minutes per side.

While the vegetables are grilling away, prepare a simple dressing for the arugula.  We need a bit of acid in this combo and lemon juice is the perfect anecdote.  Whisk together three tbs olive oil, one and a half tbs lemon juice, one quarter tsp kosher salt and one quarter tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Toss with two cups fresh arugula.

Time to plate!  With the vegetables acting as a base, place a cup of the arugula on top and sprinkle some crumbled goat cheese over the top.  Finish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction over the entire plate.  Serve with the chicken and sit down to a healthy, flavorful meal.  And take your time.  There won’t be much to clean up!

Continue reading for the ingredient list and step by step directions!

Serves Two

Chicken

  • two chicken breasts, six-eight oz’s each
  • one half tbs kosher salt
  • one half tbs fresh ground black pepper
  • one tbs olive oil
Grilled Vegetables with Balsamic Reduction
  • one cup balsamic vinegar
  • one zucchini, cut vertically into quarter-inch slices
  • one yellow squash, cut vertically into quarter-inch slices
  • one red onion, sliced into two quarter-inch thick disks
  • one tsp kosher salt
  • one tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • one tsp olive oil
Arugula Salad
  • three tbs olive oil
  • one and one half tbs fresh lemon juice
  • one quarter tsp kosher salt
  • one quarter tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • two cups arugula
  • two oz’s goat cheese
The balsamic reduction will need to be made earlier in the day.  It takes around 45 minutes to cook and then you must allow time for it to cool.  Bring the vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan.  Once it is boiling, turn the heat down and simmer gently on medium-low.  Allow to simmer for around 45 minutes or until it has reduced by three quarters.  I put just one quarter cup of the balsamic vinegar in the saucepan at the beginning and noted how far up the side it came.  I knew it had reduced sufficiently once it hit that mark.  Remove to a bowl and allow to cool.  It will thicken as the temperature drops.  Store in the fridge and it should last for months.
Place a piece of saran wrap over two chicken breasts and pound lightly with a rolling pin, making the slices even, not super thin.  Sprinkle wish kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper over each side and drizzle with olive oil.  Heat a grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat (a saute pan is fine if you don’t have a grill pan).  Once hot but not smoking, add the chicken and cook for three and a half minutes per side.  Remove to a plate and tent with foil, allowing to rest.
While the chicken is cooking, drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper.  When the chicken is finished, drop the heat to medium-low and add the vegetables directly to the pan.  Grill the vegetables for two and a half minutes per side.
While the vegetables are grilling, prepare a simple dressing for the arugula.  Whisk together three tbs olive oil, one and a half tbs lemon juice, one quarter tsp kosher salt and one quarter tsp freshly ground black pepper.  Toss with two cups fresh arugula.
Time to plate!  With the vegetables acting as a base, place a cup of the arugula on top and sprinkle some crumbled goat cheese over the top.  Finish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction over the entire plate.  Serve alongside the chicken and enjoy!

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