Cherries, get your summer cherries here! Get em’ while they last (not much longer) and savor the last month of summer deliciously. Start with this Roasted Cherry and Chicken Salad! Seasonal summer fruit is the best, roasted summer fruit is the bestest!
Taking a break this weekend from the sugary indulgence but keeping all the decadence! Who said healthy can’t be decadent? Really who? I will have to have a word with them. Anyway, seasonal summer fruit, roasted, baked chicken, buffalo ricotta added, salad tossed, voila’! It’s that easy.
I really do love roasting fruit, it takes on a whole new deeper, richer, darker, depth of flavor. Can be added to dishes from sweet to savory or in this case a bit of both. I had a bunch of sweet cherries left over that I knew I had to do something with before they were too far gone…no one likes too far gone. So, I thought ok, what can I do with these that aren’t a sugar bomb (not hating on the sugar bomb, just need to space those puppies out). I thought to roast them lightly spritzed (such a fun summer word) with olive oil and sprinkled with a sea salt bae. Pop in the oven for 20 minutes and Bob’s Your Uncle (google it z’ers)! Then just add the ingredients tossed with a bunch of arugula. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Simple, satisfying, healthy summer meal (or side, whatevs).
See, all dark and roasty, bursty deliciousness.
Fresh bright with a bite arugula is the perfect base for these all stars.
The creamy buffalo ricotta is what rounds this all together pairing beautifully by complimenting and enhancing all the flavors!
Get em’ while they’re still hot (or in season…) this weekend…the cherries that is and whip up this seasonal summer Roasted Cherries and Chicken Salad! Your weekend indulgence will be the glass (or bottle, no judgment) of rose’ you pair with it! Summer on.
Happy Weekending & Cherry Roasting!
Diane
- Recipe can easily double.
- 1 cup pitted and halved sweet cherries
- 1 chicken breast (I only used half)
- ½ a red onion thinly sliced (you won't need all of it)
- ¼ cup buffalo ricotta (as much or as little as you like)
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 tbsp. shaved almonds (as much or as little as you like)
- 1 tbsp. of champagne vinegar
- Extra virgin olive oil spray
- Sea salt (for the cherries)
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the pitted and sliced cherries into a small bowl. Spray a couple times with the olive oil spray to evenly coat. Add a pinch or two of sea salt to coat the cherries. Place them on one of the prepared pans and evenly spread out.
- Spray both sides of the chicken breast with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper and place on the second prepared sheet pan.
- Place both pans in the oven. I placed the cherries on the top rack and the chicken on the bottom rack. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cherries are blistered, darkened and wrinkled and the chicken's internal temperature reads 165. You may need to pull the cherries out first. Chicken can also be made the day before.
- In a medium bowl, add the arugula and spray lightly with olive oil spray and toss to coat. Add a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper and toss. Slice the chicken breast in strips (I used half and saved the other half for later). Add the onions, cherries and chicken to the arugula and add the champagne vinegar and toss. Top with the buffalo ricotta and shaved almonds. Season with salt and a few more grinds of black pepper to taste.
- Serve and enjoy!
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