oregano

A little more than a month ago I told you about the boatload of oregano I dried… well now I’m using it up! This makes me happy for so many reasons. Happy to not have to go to the grocery store and pay outrageous prices for dried herbs. Happy with the taste and quality of my oregano straight from my own little garden. And happy to just recently learn that the name oregano is derived from the Greek, meaning “mountain of joy”.  There you go, no wonder I’m happy and joyful about my fantastic oregano bounty. Oregano is an indispensable ingredient in Greek cuisine so here we have a salad where the joyful herb is a star and lights up the dish.

Greek Salad with Oregano-Lemon Chicken

Chicken
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
2 hearts romaine lettuce
1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded, then cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 large tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 small red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Marinate Chicken: In a 1-gallon zip-lock bag, combine the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix together.  Add the chicken breasts to the bag and rub both sides in the mixture.  Zip bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 50 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients in a jar, cover and shake vigorously.  Tear off a piece of lettuce and dip it into the jar to taste. Then season with salt and pepper, shake, taste again, and season until it is to your liking. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Salad: Slice the lettuce into 1-inch strips and place in a large salad bowl.  Scatter cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and olives over lettuce.

Cook Chicken:  Heat a grill pan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the chicken breasts. Cook, turning once until well browned, about 5 to 8 minutes on each side or until cooked through.  Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 3 minutes before slicing it into thin strips.

Place the chicken strips and feta cheese on top of the salad.  Shake the vinaigrette in the jar one last time to combine and drizzle over the salad.  Serve immediately.

Serves 8