Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Chicken & Strawberry Salad w/ Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

Chicken & Strawberry Salad w Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

The weather has been all over the place hasn't it?

One minute it's 70 degrees and sunny.  The next, x-amount of inches of snow on the ground.  It's okay though.  Spring is pushing it's way through, and that makes me happy!  So happy in fact that I am out grilling any time I can, and along with the urge to grill comes the desire to eat a little lighter, and little fresher.  However, when you are married to the King of the Carnivores, it can be a little problematic.  That's when I like to blow his mind with things like  this Chicken and Strawberry Salad. It is packed with flavor, super filling, and the homemade poppy seed dressing is out-of-this-world!  And the best part, it only takes minutes to get on the table!  I can't wait to share it with you so let's get started!

Chicken & Strawberry Salad w/ Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing:
*Prep Time:  20 min.  *Cook Time:  -- *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings:  2 Salads

Ingredients:


  • 2 Grilled Chicken Breasts
  • 1/2 Bag of Baby Spinach
  • 10 Strawberries, sliced
  • 1 Pint of Blueberries
  • 1/2 Red Onion Sliced
  • Feta Cheese, crumbled
For Dressing:
  • 2 tsp. Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Poppy Seeds
  • 1/2 tsp. Paprika
  • 1 c. Vegetable Oil
  • 1 c. Sugar
  • 1/2 c. Balsamic Vinegar
I SHOULD have taken photographs of this part, but alas I did not, so let me talk you through it.  

To begin you will need to grill your chicken.  Simply place it in a resealable bag with the seasoning of your choice (I use Lemon Pepper and Salt), a splash of lemon juice, and a little oil.  Massage it till everything is well coated.  Then take it out to the grill and cook it for 6-8 minutes on each side until the chicken is fully cooked.  


Once the chicken is cooked you can place the spinach into a colander or salad spinner.
Rinse it well.


Then, if you are using a salad spinner, spin it dry.


Next you will want to rinse the strawberries and...


Blueberries.


Once that is complete you can slice the strawberries, onions, and chicken.
This is also a good time to make the dressing.  Here is how...

  • In a mixing bowl combine the onion powder, sugar, paprika, poppy seeds, salt, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, and oil.  Whisk until totally smooth.    

Now it is time to assemble!
Place your desired amount of spinach onto the plate!


Then, because I am all about flavor, add just a tiny pinch of salt and...


Pepper.
I find this cuts the bitterness that spinach sometimes has.

Chicken & Strawberry Salad w Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

After that, place the sliced chicken breast on top of the bed of spinach.  Around the chicken place the fruit and onion.  After that you can crumble the cheese over the salad.  Oh, another great addition would be some nuts!  Then, you can drizzle that DELICIOUS homemade dressing over everything!

Chicken & Strawberry Salad w Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

Look.At.That!

Ladies and gentleman, that right there is perfection on a plate!  The sweetness of the fruit combined with the spice of the onion, saltiness of the cheese, savoriness of the chicken, and crunchiness of the spinach just explode in your mouth and wake your taste buds to life!  And the dressing, OHHHHH THE DRESSING!  Sweet, tart, oh, so good!  You are going to love this salad.  In fact, my meat eating husband loved it so much, he went in for seconds WITHOUT the chicken!  There is something on this plate for the whole family so get in the kitchen and make this AMAZING salad tonight!

And as always...

Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~


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