CHICKEN
Rainbow Chicken Salad With Almond Honey Mustard Dressing
One thing I love: this honey mustard dressing, which I am still licking off my fingers as I type this. TMI?One thing I Do Not Like: when I have to stay home alone. Example –> when Bjork goes on work trips.
He got invited to go to an affiliate conference with a friend, so, you know, they spent a few days having nice dinners and shaking peoples’ hands. The life of a conference-goer.
I took care of the new old house for a few days. Just me, myself, and the horrendously mysterious creaking house noises coming from the basement. I know you’re down there, house monster.
It shouldn’t be a big deal. I mean, our neighborhood is very safe (confidently stated as a totally naive new-to-the-neighborhood person), our doors have rusty but functional locks, and my phone is attached to my body with 911 at the ready. Just kidding // sort of.
There are even some secretly awesome things about being home alone that I try to appreciate, like getting lots of work done. *wheee* Or watching husband-prohibited shows like Extreme Couponing on Netflix. Or having access to all the blankets at all times, or only having to wash one set of dishes, or mostly just eating the healthy fettuccine alfredo all-by-my-self. ALMOST worth it.
But no matter how much fettuccine alfredo I get out of the deal, I loathe the whole staying home alone thing.
I am either
a) so madly in love with the man that I can’t stand staying here without him,
b) a paranoid crazy person, or
c) in desperate need of a dog.
Correct answer – D. All of the above. And throw a healthy salad in there, too. That will most definitely help the cause.
And now, for a few words on Rainbow Salad.
This Rainbow Salad has fruit. How do you feel about fruit in salad? Red grapes, blueberries, and that kinda thing? I feel reeeeeal good about it. Like juicy fresh yum yum. Also noteworthy is the golden brown chicken. It was simple and delicious and I it makes me happy that I wasn’t pretending to be a vegetarian while putting at all together. Add in some crunchy almonds, creamy tangy feta, and the gang’s all there. Almost.
As if I need to even tell you, the crown jewel of this salad is the dressing. It’s made with almond butter for a incredibly smooth and creamy texture, plus it has the perfect sweet and tangy taste of a homemade honey mustard. It’s my favorite dressing that I’ve made this year, which puts us at one for one. It was just superdelicious.
Eat the rainbow, yo.
DESCRIPTION
This Rainbow Chicken Salad is topped with the most creamy and delicious homemade Almond Honey Mustard Dressing. Perfect for lunch or dinner!
INGREDIENTSfor the salad
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were cut into smaller, thinner pieces which made the sauteing a bit easier)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups grapes, halved
1 cup fresh blueberries
3 cups curly lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup almonds, chopped or crushed
for the dressing
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon stoneground mustard
1/2 tablespoon raw honey
1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, pepper, and chili powder. Saute in the oil for a few minutes, flipping the chicken now and then to cook through and get a nice golden color on both sides. When the chicken is cooked, remove from heat and set aside.
Cut and prep all the vegetables and fruits. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into bite sized pieces. Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl – you can either arrange the bowl by ingredient, like pictured, or toss everything together. Refrigerate to chill.
For the dressing, puree all the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust to your preferences. Pour dressing over salad and serve.
NOTES
After snapping these photos, I threw some crumbled crispy onions on top for a little extra crunch and flavor. Bjork just about died of happiness.
