Sunday, March 17, 2013

Chicken-Strawberry Field Green Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing...for #SundaySupper Spring Recipes

After a two-week hiatus, I'm so excited to be taking part in this week's #SundaySupper! Our theme this week fits perfectly with the warm temps we've been having in Central Texas this week: Spring Recipes, hosted by Mama's Blissful Bites. We're in the 80s this afternoon, with a couple of 90-degree afternoon in the forecast this coming week...eek! I'm not sure that I'm quite ready for Summer-like temps in March. Warmer afternoons means that it's time to start eating lighter foods with a focus on lots of fresh fruit and veggies...including salads like my Chicken-Strawberry Field Green Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing. 
For Michael to be ok with having a salad for our dinner, it has to feature protein and lots of fun ingredients that fill you up...without filling you out. Our blog trip to New York is coming up in about 6 weeks, so we're trying to eat lighter to make some "eating room" in our clothes! Flavor-packed salads like this one make that so much easier! This is my spin on a recipe I found at the Cooking Light website. I added some avocado and crispy wonton strips...and I subbed in different cheeses and nuts than the original recipe called for. You can use your favorite bottled dressing, but the simple homemade vinaigrette can be whipped up in about 2 minutes.

Chicken-Strawberry Field Green Salad
with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing
adapted from Cooking Light

Step 1: Make the dressing by adding the following ingredients to a small bowl: 1 tbs. sugar, 1 tbs. water, 2 tbs. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 tbs. balsamic. NOTE: I used fabulous artisan olive oil and sweet strawberry balsamic from Con 'Olio in Austin. Whisk well and set aside while you prep the rest of the salad.


Step 2: Add the following ingredients to a large bowl: one bag of baby field greens, 6-8 quartered strawberries, and 1/4 cup thin slivers of red onion. Add the dressing and toss well to combine. Divide the greens between 2 or 3 plates. Top each salad with the following ingredients: sliced chicken breast (you can pan sear or just buy roasted deli chicken), sliced avocado, pecan pieces, feta cheese, and crispy wonton strips. 


This salad is loaded with flavors -- seasoned chicken, tangy-sweet strawberries, and creamy avocado work perfectly together. The homemade dressing is sweetly tangy and so easy to make. Best of all, this salad can be ready to eat in about 15 minutes if you start with roasted deli chicken! I made the dressing and pan-seared the chicken, and it was still ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. Feel free to sub in gorgonzola for the feta...and use any nut that you have on hand. This salad is pretty flexible, so have fun and use what you love.  
I hope you'll check out all the fabulous Spring-inspired recipes that my fellow #SundaySupper participants are sharing today. From breakfast to dessert, and everything in between, we've got you covered. Be sure to join us for a Twitter chat this evening at 600 CST...we'll be discussing Spring foods and recipes, and it's always a good time!
Breakfast
Apps, Bread, Salads, Soups and Dressings:
Main and Sides:
Desserts:
Beverages:

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