Sesame Ginger Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

This post (+ video!) is sponsored by Shenandoah Valley Organic.

For the past few weeks, Daniel and I have been taking nightly walks through our neighborhood, just before dinnertime. It has quickly become my favorite part of the day. Every night I’m reminded why we moved here, to this sweet, pretty place with so.much.green. THIS is summer, I think to myself—a warm night with a cool breeze, the jingle of the ice cream truck a few streets over, and the smoky smell of grilled hamburgers wafting out from behind every house we pass. What is better than a grilled summer meal? Nothing. The fact that our house came with a grill was such a perk for us.

I love that grilling manages to feel comforting without being heavy—the opposite of the rich, stick-to-your-ribs comfort foods I gravitate to in the fall and winter. And it’s worth mentioning, grilling is also pretty darn convenient, too. Most meals are fairly simply, require minimal prep, and involve little cleanup (that said, I can over-complicate just about anything).

Sesame Ginger Grilled Chicken

Grilled chicken is a classic, and certainly our go-to, but I’ll be the first to admit that it needs a little help to keep it from being boring. This sesame ginger grilled chicken with pineapple salsa is so far from bland and boring that it deserved it’s own post. The Asian marinade is incredibly flavorful—salty, a little bit sweet, and just the right amount of smoky—with soy sauce, sesame oil (this always provides richness and warmth), honey for balance, fresh ginger, garlic, and chopped scallions. To top the sesame ginger chicken, I whipped up a fresh pineapple salsa, with finely chopped red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. I’d put this salsa on just about anything—salads, tacos, fish—so it’s nice that this recipe makes more than you’ll need for the chicken alone.

For this recipe, I was happy to partner with Shenandoah Valley Organic, a family-owned company that works closely with local farmers and produces organic, non-GMO, certified humane chicken at a really affordable price. Their farmers own their own chickens and coops and sell them to SVO at a premium, fair price, which is pretty much the opposite of conventional chicken companies. The chicken I used was fresh, tender, and delicious, but beyond the solid flavor, it was just so nice to be able to know exactly where my food came from, and to know that the animals were raised in humane conditions. The older I get, the more important it is to me to vote with my dollars, by buying better quality, more socially responsible food—especially meat and poultry. You can find Shenandoah Valley Organic chicken (breasts, thighs, whole birds…) in over 500 stores, like Costco, Aldi, and Fresh Market.

Here’s a video I made to show you exactly how to make it!

VIDEO

Sesame Ginger Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk the ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey. Add the chicken and toss to coat in the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chopped pineapple, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and cayenne. Stir well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
3. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Grill chicken, flipping halfway, until browned on both sides and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Serve the chicken breasts immediately, topped with pineapple salsa.

Nutrition Information & Notes:

Nutrition Information for 1 serving (4 ounces marinated, grilled chicken and ~3 tablespoons salsa) Calories 260, Fat 5g, Sat Fat 0.5g, Carb 17.9g, Fiber 1.2g, Sugars 15.2g, Protein 34.7g

Nutrition Information for 1 serving marinated chicken (without salsa): Calories 225, Fat 4.8g, Sat Fat 0.5g, Sodium 837mg, Carb 10g, Fiber 0.3g, Sugars 8.8g, Protein 34g

3.1

http://ift.tt/2vjTGLh

via Andie Mitchell http://ift.tt/1Qf5cvJ