Simple Lunch

We host a lot of work lunches in Washington at The Hill House and often times the events will have either journalists or public policy folks at the table.  These folks have a tight schedule, want to eat a lite meal, then scoot out the door. This is our answer.

We have taken our Dill Buttermilk Salad and added Grilled Lemon Chicken Breasts.  If you want to have a treat for those not looking for too lite of a dish add the Cheddar & Gruyere Toasts to the plate.

Marinate and Grill the Chicken 

• 6 skinless chicken breasts
• 2 lemons, juiced, with the lemons then cut into fourths
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup dry white whine
• 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
• 4 rosemary sprigs, leaves removed and rough chopped
• 12 thyme sprigs
• 6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
• Kosher salt and fretting ground pepper to taste

Making It

• Put all the ingredients in a bowl, whisk together and then add the chicken a let marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours
• Put grill on high and cook the breasts 6 minutes on one side and 4 on the other.  Put on a baking sheet, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes
• Slice and serve

Make the Salad & Dressing

• 2 heads of iceberg lettuce, cut into 1 1/2 inch slices
• 1 container cherry or small tomatoes, cut in half, toss with olive oil and a tablespoon of chopped dill
• 2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs that have been toasted on a dry pan over medium high heat
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, rough chopped

For the Dressing:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 6 scallions, white and green parts minced
• 1/4 cup dill, stems removed
• 6 basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Making the dressing first

• Fit your food processor with the steel blade and add garlic and mince.  Then add the scallions, basil and dill and pulse until finely chopped
• Add the lemon juice, Dijon, mayonnaise, olive oil, buttermilk, yogurt and seasonings.  Pulse until fully blended and refrigerate for at least two hours

Assemble the Salad

• Take the cold iceberg wedges and plate them

Make the Grilled Cheese Toasts

• A large crusty loaf of bread from the bakery cut into 1/2 slices
• 4 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup leeks, just the white part/ light green and finely chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons of chives, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, smashed and finely chopped
• 4-6 tablespoons (or to taste) prepared horseradish, drained
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
•  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Making It

• Turn your grill onto high and then grill both side of the bread until golden brown
• Mix the cheeses, vegetables, horseradish and mayonnaise in a bowl
• Heap the cheese mix on each grilled slice of bread and put on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (makes cleaning easier) that has a wire rack on top.  I do this so the cheese that drips off the bread and does not form a ‘globby’ mess on the side of the toasts
• Broil in the middle rack for 5-6 minutes until bubbly and spots of browning appear on top, serve after letting rest for 3-4 minutes