Chicken and Tomato Salad

This is the first in a series of guest blogger posts.
In my relentless search for recipes I cam across Lazaro's blog - Lazaro Cooks, that has wonderful ideas and he kindly agreed to write a post for me. Here is his contribution.

Hello readers of Felice in the Kitchen.  My name is Lazaro.  I am one half of the creative team behind the blog, Lazaro Cooks!  I was approached by Louise, the author of this wonderful and informative blog, about contributing a recipe.  Thank you very much.  It is quite flattering.  For my awesome readers some of this may be redundant, however I am speaking to a new audience.
Cooking to me is a philosophy; a way of life.  It is not a job or a recipe.  Being creative in kitchen affords the cook the opportunity to explore the artistic side of the brain, while honestly expressing the self.  Food can be so inspiring.  As a Florida resident I am quite fortunate to live in a state that produces a wide-range of incredible produce.  Right now we are in the peak of tomato season.  My kitchen is full of these local organic beauties.
When conceptualizing a dish I ask myself three important questions.  What do I want to see on the plate?  What do I want to smell?  What do I want to feel in the mouth?  This dish is a playful chicken and tomato “salad”.  As you eat through the dish you encounter many different tastes and textures; from cooked to raw. 
This quirky, flavorful “salad” will make you an absolute superstar at your next dinner party.


Chicken & Tomato Salad
For the tomatoes:
5 grape tomatoes – (quartered)
1 tbs butter - (unsalted)
1 tbs Safflower Oil
½ Vidalia onion - (minced)
1 tbs organic honey
Pinch of sea salt

1. Heat the oil and butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.  When the butter begins to foam, add the tomatoes and onions.
2. Cook for about 5 minutes.  You don’t want too much color on the onions.
3. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain the pan of the fat.
4. Return the tomato and onion mixture to the pan.  Add the honey and pinch of salt.
5. Cook for 2 minutes till the honey coats the mixture well.

For the Chicken:
2 chicken thighs - (medium dice)
Wondra flour
1 tsp Smoked Pimenton - (paprika)
1 tsp Curry Powder
Sea salt
Peanut oil
For the Crispy Shallots:
1 small shallot – (sliced thin on a mandolin)

1. Heat 1/3 inch of peanut oil over medium heat.
2. When hot, add the sliced shallots.  Cook till golden brown.  This happens very quickly.  Be careful.
3. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
4. In a bowl, dust the chicken with Wondra Flour.  Shake off excess.
5. Season with equal parts sea salt, smoked pimenton, and curry powder.
6. Drop into the oil.
7. Cook till golden brown.  Not black…Black not good!
8. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

NOTE:  It is imperative to coordinate the cooking of the different components.  You do not want stuff sitting around.

For the Salad:
Purple Cherokee Tomato - (sliced)
Spinach Chiffonade - (cut into thin strips)
To plate:

1. Center the honey tomato and onion mixture on the plate.
2. Next goes the chicken.
3. Next is a slice of tomato.
4. Now put on the spinach chiffonade.  Season the spinach with a pinch of sea salt and white pepper, and a squirt of olive oil.
5. The last thing to go on is the crispy shallots.

That’s it for now…till we exchange a few words again…Peace!