Sesame-Chile Chicken with Gingered Watermelon Salsa

I've decided since 1. Gas prices are killing me and preventing me from eating out, 2. Scott and I are saving up for our Ireland trip, and 3. I need to work on my food photography skills, I would once in a while post recipes that we've tried and thought were really tasty. Sure, it doesn't really have to do with Waterbury, except maybe that I bought all of the ingredients in Waterbury. But it's my blog and I can do what I want! :P

This recipe I first tried at one of my professor's houses, and found that she actually got the recipe from Cooking Light, one of my favorite food magazines. It is an absolutely spectacular summer dish that I like to serve with rice and sometimes with a little side salad. I love the watermelon salsa so much that I usually double the recipe so I have extra for pita chips. Yum yum yum.


Sesame-Chile Chicken with Gingered Watermelon Salsa
adapted from Cooking Light

Chicken:
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons chili sauce with garlic
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Salsa:
2 cups diced seeded watermelon
1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

Remaining ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Cilantro sprigs (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation:

To prepare chicken, combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

To prepare salsa, combine watermelon and next 8 ingredients (through jalapeño); cover and chill until ready to serve.

Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut chicken diagonally across grain into thin slices; serve with salsa. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Yield:

4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 1/2 cup salsa)