Organic, Fresh, Delicious Dinner

I've been talking about buying organic, local and fresh ingredients lately, so I decided to highlight a dinner that I made last week, which stressed these concepts. The meal was a simple one, consisting of grilled chicken, cous-cous and a cucumber-corn salad made from veggies that I bought at the farmer's market. Anyone can recreate this--and feel good about eating it. It's the definition of guilt free eating and I highly recommend it.

Cilantro-Lime Grilled Chicken - I like the citrus in this grilled chicken dish, as it adds a hint of summer flava. I marinated it for about a half hour but you can certainly increase the time to intensify the flavors.

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 lb of organic chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
Olive oil
The juice of 1 lime
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Drizzle olive oil over chicken breasts and spread with a pastry brush to fully incorporate. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

In a small bowl, combine a small glug of olive oil, lime juice and chopped cilantro. Place seasoned chicken breasts into the mixture and let marinate for a half hour or longer if desired.

Place on hot grill pan (or outdoor grill) and cook chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Cucumber-Corn Salad - I bought fresh cucumbers and corn at the Union Square Greenmarket last week. The cucumber was small and crunchy, with a hint of lemon, and the corn had tiny kernels that were super sweet. It doesn't get much better, except that the two together made the perfect organic marriage.

Ingredients (serves 2)
3 small organic cucumbers, chopped into 1/2" pieces. You can leave the skin on if you prefer (I did)
2 corn, husked
Small shallot, chopped
A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Olive oil
The juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Brush corn with olive oil, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a grill pan or on an outdoor grill until slightly browned (about 25 minutes). Let cool for 10 minutes and then separate the kernels from the cob using a knife.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and adjust seasoning and citrus based on your preference.

Cous-Cous with Raisins - This is my customary cous-cous pairing, which includes cooking organic cous-cous according to the directions on the box and adding a generous handful of golden raisins. It adds a sweetness that balances out the savory quality of this summery meal. Enjoy!