Here’s one of my back-pocket tricks for quick meals: a dressing that does double duty as a marinade and a dressing (have you tried my Italian marinated chicken and vegetables yet?) In this recipe, we’re using it to dress a big juicy Greek salad that I turn into a satisfying dinner with the addition of marinated chicken. The combination of the crunchy, refreshing salad with seared chicken infused with gorgeous garlic and oregano flavours makes for an excellent meal on warm evenings when you want to minimise time in front of a hot stove. Serve with grilled flatbreads.
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, each cut in half horizontally to form 4 thin steaks
½ tsp cooking salt
oil for cooking
135ml (9 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
4½ tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cooking salt
freshly ground black pepper
200g cherry tomatoes, halved (one standard punnet)
2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise then into 5mm thick half moons
½ small red onion, cut into thin rounds
1 small green capsicum, cut into thin strips
250g Greek feta, cut into 1.5cm cubes
125g pitted kalamata olives
1 tsp dried oregano
grilled flatbreads to serve
Shake the Greek salad dressing ingredients in a jar until well combined. Pour ⅓ of the dressing into a press-seal bag, add ½ teaspoon of salt, and then the chicken. Seal the bag and massage it to completely coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or griddle pan over high heat. Cook the chicken pieces for 2 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 67C. Remove onto a plate and rest for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken into thick slices, if desired, or serve whole.
Toss the salad ingredients in a bowl with most of the remaining dressing. Serve the chicken alongside or on top of the salad. Pour the remaining dressing all over the chicken and salad. Serve with warmed or charred flatbreads.
The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.
Sign up