Winter Chicken Chopped Salad with Brussels Sprouts and Avocado
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If you make only one entree salad in 2012, let this be the one. So often we get caught up having salads play second fiddle (Not too many in Southern California really appreciates fiddling at all, but even I have a hard time with "second fiddle"), putting them in support roles, secondary to any main meat dish. A hearty entree salad, with chicken or turkey, nuts or seeds, avocado, greens and vegetables, and some dried fruit for tartness, will stack up to any government defined balanced meal.
The last few weeks I've been eating more avocados than a Guatemalan Green Belly - a name endearingly given to the people of La Antigua due to their love of avocado's golden green flesh. My recent over-consumption may be subconsciously driven, because in a few week's we'll be passing through the town of Antigua en route to coastal Guatemala on a surf trip. Whatever the reason, despite the fact that avocados are typically not in season until the spring, our local markets have been flooded with a green tide. This is fine by me, because in California, kids are practically bottle-fed avocados, so our love is deep seeded. And they play a nice roll in this salad.
As I noted in my last newsletter, Culinary Competitor will be undergoing a change in the near future. My new site is coming along nicely, and will likely launch in the next couple of weeks. The branding has evolved to reflect where I am now, a place that does not involve "competing" on a regular basis, but rather embracing a balanced approach to wellness and staying fit. That being said, I've recently signed up for the San Dimas Xterra mountain bike triathlon and haven't been mentally as ready to race in a few years. If you've got a set of legs and lungs and live in Southern California, you should come out (there are duathlon and trail run options, so a knobby-tired bike isn't even required).
Ingredients:
1 crown of broccoli, cut into small florets
15-20 brussels sprouts
2 cups kale, center vein removed and chopped
2 cups arugula, chopped
2-3 pieces center-cut bacon
1/2 cup grated smoked cheddar cheese (or other smoked cheese)
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 chicken breasts
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1-2 avocados, diced
Dressing
2 T light mayo
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 t Dijon mustard
2 T water
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
Instructions:
Total time, about 45 minutes
Serves 3-4
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy, oven-safe skillet. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook about 3-4 minutes. Flip, and place in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until cooked. Once cooked, remove from heat and set aside to cool. Once cooled, chop into 1/2 inch pieces.
You will only be using the outer few layers/leaves of each brussels sprout, reserving the main part for another use. Cut the bottom of each sprout and peel off 1-2 layers of leaves, setting the rest of the in-tact sprout aside.
Cook the bacon in a dutch oven. Once cooked, remove and chop, reserving the fat. Bring the reserved fat over medium-high heat and add the broccoli. Season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, browning one side before stirring. After 3-4 minutes, turn off heat and stir to evenly coat broccoli. While the dutch oven is still hot, add in the kale and brussels sprout leaves and stir to combine (note: you do not want to cook the kale and brussels sprout leaves, simply use some of the residual heat to lightly wilt them). Remove the veggies from the heated dutch oven and transfer them to a salad bowl, allowing them to cool.
Add the remaining salad ingredients.
For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dress and toss salad.
Enjoy
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