Lemon Thyme Grilled Chicken Salad

Yield: 6 Servings

12 oz Chopped Romaine

12 oz Chopped Iceberg lettuce

8 Tb. Crumbled Feta

15 ea. Blackberries

12 ea. Orange Segments

12 ea. Cherry Tomatoes (cut in half length-wise)

12 ea. Chives, Minced

OAT CRUMBLE

2 Tb. Oats

1 Tb. Almonds

1 Tb. Brown Sugar

1 Tb. Honey

Salt to Taste

1 Tb. Canola Oil

METHOD

Combine oats, almonds, brown sugar, honey, salt, and canola oil. Lay parchment paper or wax paper down on sheet tray. Spread out the mixture on tray and bake at 250° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool once done and break into small pieces.

CHICKEN

1 tsp. Lemon Pepper

1 tsp. Dried Thyme

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

6 Small Chicken Breasts

5 Tb. Olive Oil

METHOD

MARINADE

Mix the lemon pepper, dry thyme, and salt together. Season chicken with lemon pepper mixture on both sides. Grill mark or sear chicken.

IF GRILLING

Preheat grill on medium to high heat and right before putting the chicken on, spray with pan spray at a slight angle. When grilling, you are looking for those dark lines across the breast.

IF SEARING

Preheat your pan on medium-high heat. Once heated put 1 tsp of olive oil in the pan and let it sit for a few seconds. Lay the breast down away from you top or “presentation” side first. It should start sizzling pretty loud immediately. Let it cook on that side for 30 seconds. Flip the breast and repeat. Both sides should be golden brown. Cook in oven at 350° for roughly 20-25 minutes or until 165° internal temp. Once cooked, let it cool. When cooled down, brush with olive oil and slice diagonally into ½ inch pieces.

DRESSING

½ fl. Oz. Golden Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tb. Water

¼ tsp. Dijon Mustard

½ Tb. Honey

1 Tb. Sugar

1/3 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/3 c. Canola Oil

METHOD

IF USING A BLENDER

Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend on high for about 30 seconds. It should become a semi-thicker consistency. If it’s too thin, add a little bit more oil and blend again on high. If it’s too thick, add a little bit of water and blend to thin it out.

IF MIXING BY HAND

Combine all ingredients except the oil. Give it a good mix. While whisking, slowly add the oil. This will take a while to get to the right consistency, so you must keep whisking the entire time to create a proper emulsion between oil and liquids in the dressing.

ORANGE SEGMENTS

Take oranges and cut off the top and bottom. Then cut off the rind without taking out chunks of the orange. After the rind has been removed, take a paring knife and slice between the membranes of the orange and the meat of the orange. Do that to every orange section and you should end up with orange wedges with just the meat of the orange.

SALAD ASSEMBLY

Lettuce, blackberry, orange, tomato, feta, oat crumble, sliced chicken, chives.

Pair with Golden or Dark Balsamic dressing or your favorite.