Lemon Chicken & Bulgur Salad

This recipe is one of the many from the March/April 2010 Clean Eating Magazine that made my list this week. What drew me to it was the simplicity of a lemon-marinated chicken combined with bulgur (which I can use this week, rather than subbing H-friendly quinoa!) and mint, which I have never used in my cooking.

 

The chicken deserves to marinate a lot longer than a measly 30 minutes, so plan for that. Mine was in the marinade for several hours, as I prepped most of this ahead of time while the little guy was at daycare. A squirt of lemon or lime is almost necessary at the end, to brighten up the flavors. As I was eating this, I thought honey would be a welcome addition (and wouldn't be out of place taste-wise) in the marinade next time, though I'm not sure how that would go when it's time to cook. Any ideas?

Lemon-Grilled Chicken & Bulgur Salad
from Clean Eating Magazine, Vol. 3, Issue 2
serves 4

2 4-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup fine-grain bulgur wheat
Zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (I used whole raw ones that I chopped with help, as you can see above)
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
Sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

1. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, oil, pepper flakes, cumin, and lemon juice. Stir to coat and marinate 30 minutes in the fridge.

2. Preheat a grill or grill pan (I used a cast iron skillet) to medium-high heat. In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Remove from heat; add bulgur and lemon zest, cover, and let sit 5-7 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. Transfer to a serving bowl and mix in almonds, mint, salt, and pepper.

3. Remove chicken from marinade and grill for 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked through (juices should run clear if you poke the thickest part). Remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes, then chop and add to bulgur mixture. Serve warm or cold.

I doubled everything (my chicken breasts were huge) and served this side-by-side the first time, but chopped the leftover chicken and divided it between the four portions of bulgur I had left. The little guy, who attempted several times to say "bulgur" but could only ever manage "bo-git," ate his required two bites plus a little more of his own accord. Despite the quantity of red pepper called for, the chicken was definitely not *spicy* by any means, so I'm considering this kid-friendly.