zucchini and chicken salad

It’s been hot here. I know what you’re thinking, and no, it’s not as hot as it is in Dubai, so you don’t need to send me an email to tell me. But hot here means humidity. Here, when it gets hot, it feels like the harbour is hanging in the air. Actually, it feels like the harbour is standing way too close to you, and kind of breathing on your neck. And the harbour is… grody. I don’t know if you know much about our port here, but let me sum it up for you: I know someone who fell into the harbour, and he had to get a tetanus shot immediately after he was pulled out. It’s pretty disgusting. Nice to look at, but you look with your eyes, people, not your hands. So, to sum, it is very hot and sticky here.

My original plan for this week was to re-finish a dresser for the spare room. That dresser is currently sitting in the dining room, untouched. And yes, because a couple of you have asked, I will be posting a tutorial on how to paint furniture. (You’re welcome.) But that will have to wait for a few days. Mostly because I can’t get the dresser outdoors for sanding due to the fact that:

  1. 2.0 isn’t here, and he’s basically the muscle behind this operation, and
  2. I know the harbour humidity is out there waiting for me.

So, you ask, what are you doing with your time? Well, I have a job. Yup. An almost-real job. And that job involves a lot of sweating. By the time I arrived home last night, I was covered in a dank mix of harbour air and half-dried perspiration. And I haven’t recovered. Fourteen hours later and I still haven’t recovered. Remedy? Zucchini and Chicken Salad.

I made this salad for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It’s very refreshing, and perfect for days when you just can’t seem to get your body cooled down. The mint makes this salad. Don’t leave it out. Don’t be all, I don’t like mint. Yes, you do.

I plan to make this delightful little salad for the Beaucoups this evening. One probably works up a sweat when running away from bears, after all.

. . .

Zucchini and Chicken Salad

recipe – adapted only slightly from a Martha Stewart’s Empire recipe

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  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I used one lemon)
  • coarse salt and pepper
  • 1 1/4 pounds zucchini, thinly sliced (I used one large zucchini)
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves  (I used two chicken breasts)
  • 1 bunch (8 ounces) spinach, chopped (I used half a package of baby spinach, and I didn’t chop it)
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the zucchini and then toss to coat it. Let the zucchini marinate while you are cooking the chicken.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Throw into the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 7 minutes per side.  Remove from the skillet and slice thin.

Toss the chicken with the zucchini mixture, spinach, red onion, pecans, parmesan cheese, and mint.

11 Comments

  1. Tes on July 21, 2010 at 11:18 am

    Wow it looks so delicious. I love these beautiful pictures.
    The recipe sounds so healthy and easy to make.
    Thanks for sharing,
    Tes



    • movitabeaucoup on July 21, 2010 at 11:32 am

      Thanks, Tes. I just took a wander over to your blog… now my tummy is growling. I’m going to have to give some of your recipes a try!



  2. emmalina73 on July 21, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    This does look delicious, I’ll have to try it! I also read your previous post about running from a bear and I am literally crying with laughter, you could not rock more. Your blog is utterly brilliant and I am rapidly becoming addicted to it!

    PS Thanks for your kind words on my blog, that was lovely : )



  3. wee eats on March 7, 2013 at 6:29 pm

    That’s hilarious bc that would totally be me “hmm, maybe I’ll leave the mint out” /hangs head in shame. Sorry movita. I promise i will use the mint. *tear

    OMG I KNOW!!! HUMIDITY! BLECH! It is so… oppressive. and you’re right, it totally feels all …. molesty. And gross. and then my hair goes all POOF but my body is all WILT and I just turn into a poofy, wilty ball of rage. Don’t put me in hot/humid weather. Or your face may or may not survive.



    • movita beaucoup on March 9, 2013 at 10:05 pm

      Oh boy – wordpress seems to have re-published this very old post! It’s very cold here right now. And I’m not eating salad. But I sure am glad that we are united in our hatred of humidity…



      • wee eats on March 9, 2013 at 10:36 pm

        Hahahaha WordPress has a mind of its own sometimes. I was still happy to read it 😉



  4. shannon on March 8, 2013 at 11:55 pm

    GHOST POST ALERT! Mostly i noticed because you’re in canada, and complaining about the heat when it’s easily like, 30 degrees there right now seems fishy. Like if you were truly experiencing that sort of heat, I would have heard about it on the news right after they told me the ice caps had indeed melted completely and all the glaciers were gone forever.

    As you can seeeeeeeee, Natalie didn’t notice this because she lives in the American Southwest, where i’m sure it’s easily 94 degrees right now. at night. Although hers is a dry heat, and does not touch her inappropriately. I know this because i’ve been there; not to see natalie (a shame), but because i have relatives who live there.

    I love ghost posts so much it hurts.



    • movita beaucoup on March 9, 2013 at 10:07 pm

      GHOST POST! That’s what I’m going to call it when wordpress re-sends my posts out to the cosmos. On the plus side, I’d forgotten about this recipe, so I guess lunch has been planned…

      Also, it is still wintery here, so you don’t need to worry about the ice caps. (Yet.)



    • wee eats on March 9, 2013 at 10:39 pm

      Hahahaha I was like”seems unseasonably warm but who knows with the state of things these days….” Lol

      Clearly ill take any opportunity to hate on humidity

      Side note. It’s supposed to be 86 here next weekend :/



  5. Ashley Bee on March 14, 2013 at 3:22 pm

    Yes, mint is amazing. And it’s not just for post-dinner or dessert! I love using it in new and interesting ways 🙂



  6. movita beaucoup on May 11, 2015 at 10:01 am

    Comments on this post are now closed as it was published in July 2010. Happy cooking!