We are coming up on Celiac Awareness month in May. Food Allergy Awareness week is also celebrated in May, from the 11th to the 17th*. As you can imagine, these events are important to me. I feel as though I work hard to raise awareness of food allergies and celiac disease throughout the year. However, it is always great to see the broader community getting involved in the efforts.
Last week, Food and Wine celebrated all things gluten-free. They shared tons of wonderful recipes and resources for those requiring a gluten-free diet. I was so thrilled to participate in their efforts and wrote this post sharing pointers on dining out and navigating various ethnic cuisines on a gluten-free diet.
I am also excited to announce I will be working with Whole Foods in Westchester to celebrate celiac and allergy awareness this month. We have a great twitter chat planned on Thursday, May 15th from 7:00pm – 8:00pm and on Sunday, May 18th, I will do an in-store cooking demo and host a lunch for 25 people. I hope you will join us for both events!
The recipe I am planning to demo is this Penne with Grilled Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Arugula and Mozzarella. It is the perfect lunch or side dish for a summer BBQ. This pasta salad is really flavorful, not too fussy and great served warm or cold. I think it’s going to be a staple dish for our table as we entertain family and friends throughout the season. I hope you will make it one of yours too!
- 1 12 oz package Bionaturae gluten-free penne (or your favorite pasta), cooked in boiling, salted water until al-dente
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sprigs oregano, chopped
- zest of ½ lemon, plus more for garnish
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (about ¼ cup)
- ⅓ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes (about 8)
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 2 cups arugula, rinsed and dried
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- Marinate chicken breasts in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, oregano, lemon zest and salt in a large ziploc bag or shallow pan for about 20 minutes (while preparing other ingredients)
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water, according to package directions, drain and set aside
- Heat outdoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and rub marinade off of chicken with a paper towel before grilling for about 4 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through, temperature should be 165 degrees. (Rubbing off the marinade prevents it from burning). Allow chicken to rest for about 5 minutes and then cut into chunks.
- Heat a large straight-sided sauté pan over medium-low heat and add olive oil, sliced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Be careful here. You want to infuse the oil with the flavors but not toast or burn the garlic. Adjust the temperature lower, if it seems to be cooking too fast.
- Toss cooked pasta in the sauté pan with olive oil, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Fold in arugula and fresh mozzarella and toss in chicken. Season with salt, fresh ground black pepper and lemon zest. Serve and enjoy!
*For more information on Celiac Awareness Month, visit the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. For more information on Food Allergy Awareness Week, visit Food Allergy Resource and Education.
