Tasty spring salad: grilled chicken with pasta, asiago, cherries, sugar snap peas and walnuts

This quick and easy springtime salad is perfect for a family or a crowd, and the mix of sweet and savory, crunchy and tender makes it a pleasure to eat.

Grilled chicken salad with cherries, sugar snap peas, asiago, and walnuts

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 lb pasta: penne, rigatoni, or similar shaped pasta
8 oz. fresh cherries
8 oz. fresh sugar snap peas
1/2-1 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. freshly grated Asiago cheese
Fresh zest from 1 lemon
~1 c. mayonnaise
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh spinach, lettuce or mixed greens

1. Lightly coat the chicken with oil, season the chicken with sea salt and black pepper, grill until cooked, set aside to cool.
2. Cook the pasta according to directions, set aside to cool.
3. Clean the sugar snap peas, trimming off stem ends as necessary.
4. Remove the stems and pits, from the cherries, then cut into quarters.
5. Dice the chicken breast, add to pasta.
6. Mix in cherries, peas, and walnuts.
7. Add mayonnaise, stir.
8. Mix in lemon zest and cheese.

Serve on a bed of greens (fresh spinach, lettuce, or mixed greens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6

First food post: bacon +chicken = yum!

Not too long ago, I found myself falling into a rut; a bit of my creativity around cooking had faded, and I found myself getting bored with cooking. This happens from time to time, and it's not altogether a bad thing, especially since it often leads to some fun experimentation on my part. Most of the time these little experiments turn out pretty nifty. Tonight was one of them.

I had picked up some pepper bacon, and I almost always have a chicken breast in the freezer; it's one of the most versatile meats out there... you can really do almost anything with it. Today I decided to combine the two to see what would happen. I wrapped the chicken in two slices of bacon and held the bacon in place with a couple of toothpicks. After that, the delicious little package was introduced to my grill.

The side was equally fun and experimental. I cut a red pepper in half, roasted it on the grill, then stuffed it with some steamed cauliflower. Once ready, both the meat and veggies got a little kiss of cheese sauce.

Between the bacon, the cheese, and the cream in the cheese sauce, it's probably pretty close to a heart attack on a plate, but it was all sorts of tasty. The spicy sweetness of the pepper complimented the earthiness of the cauliflower nicely, and the pepper-bacon and chicken made for a nice pairing as well. The creamy sharp cheddar cheese sauce added just the right finish to the whole thing. Definitely one for the books.