This is not only the perfect summer meal, it was also a perfect pairing for a bottle of South African Chenin Blanc provided by sponsor KWV Wines. All opinions and writings are completely my own. I received no monetary compensation for this post.
This month for our Wine Pairing Weekend, Jennifer of Vino Travels invited us to explore the wines of South Africa. Since June 15th is also #DrinkCheninDay and since Chenin is one of South Africa's main varietals Jennifer also arranged for some of us to get samples from Wines of South Africa.
I received this lovely bottle of Chenin Blanc from KWV wines. KWV was founded in 1918. They pride themselves in providing an impactful contribution to South Africa and it's citizens. Having just celebrated their 70th year they have become a leader in South African wines.
This bottle of Chenin Blanc comes from KWV Wines Classic Collection. It's perfect to be enjoyed right now. It pours a clear golden hue and smells of tropical fruit and melon. It is dry and crisp. A perfect summer wine to go with this Classic summer salad that I'm sharing with you today.
This pairing is about as good as it gets. The wine was smooth and evened out the richness of the dressing and cheese on the salad. I plated the salad in the center of a platter with the grilled chicken to either side. Not only was it a beautiful presentation but it also provided for my Teen, who is not much of a meat eater, to help herself to the greens while we added the chicken to our individual plates.
Let's see what the others paired with their South African Wines and what they thought.......
- Camilla from the Culinary Adventures of Camilla offers A South African Braai (Rhymes with 'Fry') + A Trio of Chenin Blancs.
- Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm features Grilled Chicken Caesar paired with a South African Chenin Blanc.
- Lori of Dracaena Wines is Unlocking the Marvels of Nature ThroughWine.
- David of Cooking Chat shares South African Chicken with Chakalaka and Chenin Blanc.
- Deanna of Asian Test Kitchen features South African Chenin Blanc Paired with Vietnamese Food.
- Gwen of Wine Predator writes 3 Summer Wines from South Africa Shine for #CheninBlancDay #RoseDay #WinePW.
- Nicole of Somm's Table pairs A South African Pinot Feast Hamilton Russell, Tesselaarsdal, and a Glazed Pork.
- Sarah of Curious Cuisinere features South African Chutney Chicken and Chenin Blanc Pairing.
- Cynthia and Pierre of Traveling Wine Profs writes A Celebration of Wine Industry Upgrading Paired with South African Food Truck Takeout.
- Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings is sharing Spier Pinotage/Shiraz from South AfricanPlus Sliced Lamb as Wrappers.
- Jeff of FoodWineClick! features Gemaak en Gebottle Oorsprong: We're Not in Kansas Anymore.
- Linda of My Full Wine Glass highlights Golden Wine from a Golden Land - South Africa.
- Jill of L'Occasion writes Making a Meal with Wine from South Africa.
- Cindy of Grape Experiences features A Family Affair: South African Chenin Blanc with Scallops, Tomatoes and Pesto.
- Jane of Always Ravenous writes South African Chenin Blanc Paired with Shrimp,Scallops, and Mango Salsa.
- Michelle of Rockin Red Blog is Wandering into June with Lubanzi Wine and #WinePW.
- Jennifer of Vino Travels serves Zucchini Quiche with Raats Chenin Blanc from South Africa.
You can use store bought Caesar for the marinade and dressing but why not try my easy peasy Caesar Dressing? Just double the recipe so you have enough to marinade the chicken and dress the salad. I added cucumbers and tomatoes to my salad this time as I had them in the refrigerator but feel free to omit them and go with a more classic version of the salad.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoH961rnIBHeIrkbZb4O_Cp3Or0nwy1AxsD48vgTQHhZHiqwi685r_do2lDIvUEgQcDLMkBi-bjcb_GPaiIIEn8SYjcZ28xc0YpEhyphenhyphen1IaTaOw1bi51kWgiFS54bYDs_CrDgFvQTBvcR4M_/s1600/2.jpg)
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Yield: 4 servings
prep time: 20 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 35 M
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts marinated in Caesar dressing before being grilled to tender juicy perfection, chopped up and served along with salad greens also tossed in Caesar dressing and topped with crunchy garlic croutons.
ingredients:
- 4 (6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3/4 c. Caesar Salad Dressing
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 seedless cucumber, chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- Freshly ground cracked pepper, to taste
- 1 pkg. garlic croutons or homemade garlic croutons
- 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
instructions:
How to cook Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- Place chicken breasts and half of the dressing into a bag that seals. Expel the air and massage the bag to cover the chicken with the dressing. Place into the refrigerator while your grill heats to temperature.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding any marinade left in the bag. Grill the chicken breasts over med high heat until an internal temperature of 165*, this should take about 7 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and let chicken rest while you make the salad.
- Place the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl. Toss with the lemon juice, cracked pepper and cheese. Dice the chicken and add to the salad add the remaining dressing and toss again. Place onto a platter and sprinkle with the croutons.
- Alternately you can plate the salad and on a platter and place the chicken around the sides of the salad or separately should you be serving Vegetarians at your table.
Calories
610.70
610.70
Fat (grams)
34.92
34.92
Sat. Fat (grams)
7.35
7.35
Carbs (grams)
27.67
27.67
Fiber (grams)
8.25
8.25
Net carbs
19.41
19.41
Sugar (grams)
14.08
14.08
Protein (grams)
47.30
47.30
Sodium (milligrams)
932.38
932.38
Cholesterol (grams)
126.89
126.89
Property of A Day in the Life on the Farm
This pairing looks delicious. I can't remember the last time I made a Caesar salad. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteWe serve up a lot of main dish salads in the summer.
DeleteCan't go wrong with grilled chicken caesar salad and a glass of Chenin Blanc during the warm summer months.
ReplyDeleteNo you can't Jane.
DeleteGreat idea to pair a Chenin Blanc with a grill chicken Caesar salad!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pinny.
DeleteChenin is a perfect summer wine. and I love meals that you can just add the meat to certain plates.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lori.
DeleteThat sure does sound like a delicious pairing! Chenin Blanc is a versatile wine.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is David.
DeleteI bet this pairing was so good! Now I want to make a chicken caesar to go with the Chenin Blanc we have left!
ReplyDeleteYou won't be sorry Sarah.
DeleteYou really nailed the pairing with the Chicken Caesar Salad with the Chenin Blanc, sounds like it was a real winner.
ReplyDeleteIt was Jeff, the perfect Summer Meal
Delete