Balsamic Blackened Chicken Salad

IngredientsChicken Ingredients

• 3 medium boneless and skinless chicken breasts

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 1/2 tbsp parkay spray butter (more if desired)

• 2-3 tsp chilli powder

• 1-2 tsp ground black pepper

Salad Ingredients

• 3 Bundles Romaine Leaves Ends trimmed

• 1/2 cup chopped or shredded carrots

• 1 large red bell pepper deseeded and diced

• 1/2-3/4 large english cucumber

• 1/2 cup pistachios

• 2 stalks celery ends trimmed

• 1/4 cup freshly shaved parmesean cheese

• 1/4-1/2 cup dressing measure to your liking!!!!

Hey all! Hope you are all as ready for the wknd as I am! I have been making my own salad dressing for years and my “go-to” meal is a grilled chicken salad. I pretty much eat a salad every day for lunch and I do not get sick of it because my salad and dressing recipe is just that good!!!lol My parents, sister, nephews, grandmother, clients, friends, and co-workers all love my salad dressing so much that I supply them monthly with  dressing!  I have perfected my chicken salad recipe as well, so I just have to share it with you all:)

• Remove your chicken breasts from the fridge. Cut the fat from all edges of the chicken.

• Place  each chicken breast in a ziploc baggie and pound down to a thin (1/2 inch) piece of chicken.

• Spray both sides of the chicken with spray butter and sprinkle both sides with a combo of ground black pepper and chilli powder. I typically use twice as much chilli powder as  black pepper.

• Add olive oil and spray butter to a pan and then place the chicken breasts into the pan.

• Cook on medium heat for about 7 minutes on one side, and then flip to cook for about 7 minutes on the other side. I will then continue flipping and pressing the chicken down in order to thoroughly brown and fully cook each piece. If the pan gets dry, I will add a little more oil or spray butter under each breast. I am weird about undercooked chicken, so I really brown them:)

• Place the chicken on a cutting board. Use a large sharp knife to cut the chicken in thin strips.

• As the chicken is cooking, prepare the salad. I use lettuce, carrots, red/orange/yellow bell pepper, cucumber, celery, pistachios, and a sprinkle of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. I use either romaine or red/green leaf lettuce. The type of lettuce you use does not matter…as long as it has a crunch!