A Classic: Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil Salad

Can I have a blog about cooking from scratch without posting a recipe of this classic summer salad?!  Absolutely not!  I have always loved this salad, 

via Simply Recipes

but one thing that wasn't quite right for me was the fact that I had to cut every bite in order to enjoy it, which meant more time before it actually hit my taste buds.  Solution: chop it all up before serving!  The best part of this recipe is really in the dressing, so be sure to read the whole post, or at least scroll to the bottom, for the best balsamic vinaigrette ever!

Gather four tomatoes, one ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, and 12 basil leaves.

 Dice the tomatoes.  Cut the cheese into bite size chunks, and slice the basil into thin strips.  Mix together in a bowl.  Top with dressing (recipe below), enough to coat the mixture, but not make it soggy.

This is my absolute favorite dressing for balsamic vinaigrette.  I always use it for this salad, but it's also great drizzled on sliced avocados, or on a garden salad.  I can't take credit, though, my sweet friend Evyn, gave it to me a few years ago.  

Dressing:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine water, vinegar, sugar, and flour. Using a deep bowl, microwave 4-5 minutes until thickened. Stir. Pour into food processor and add mustard, salt, pepper, and onion. With machine running, slowly pour in oil. Process for 30 seconds. Chill. Makes about 2.5 cups.

Chicken Breasts with Tomato, Basil, and Roasted-Corn Relish

Our garden is doing beautifully and I love the fact that I can walk outside, pick something from the garden, and bring it in to eat it for dinner.  I was able to use tomatoes and basil from our garden for this dish.  This is an easy one to make, but it looks like it took a long time--a perfect combination in my opinion!  And to top it off, it's quite healthy.

Recipe:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 ears fresh corn
3 medium tomatoes
1 green onion stem
12 basil leaves, approximately
4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
flour
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Relish:
Preheat oven to 375F.  Brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 teaspoon oil.  Using a sharp knife, cut off the kernels from the corn into a small bowl.

Toss corn with 2 teaspoons oil and place on baking sheet.  Roast until corn begins to brown, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes.

While the corn is roasting, dice the tomatoes.

Then, slice the green onion.

Next, slice the basil into thin strips.

Mix the roasted corn with tomatoes, green onion, basil and 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper.   Set aside.

For Chicken:
Flatten the chicken breasts out as well as you can (you can do this with a meat mallet, by putting the chicken between two pieces of saran wrap, but it works just as well if you simply stretch it with your fingers) until they are about 1/2-inch thick.  Pat chicken dry.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then coat with flour.

Melt butter and oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and saute' until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Transfer to plates, top with relish and serve.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, 2005