Salad Lovin'

A food photographer I am not...but YUM!

I must preface this post by saying we are not really truly "salad people." We are hearty eaters in our house so in most instances a salad will.....just not do.

BUT!!! Do you know that Monday feeling when you ate allllllll the things over the weekend and just need a slight detox? That, my friends, is the perfect salad night. After several trials and a few errors, we have perfected our favorite version of the "Monday Detox Salad." I feel like it is hearty enough with plenty of protein so that no one is raiding the pantry at 10pm (ahem, husband).

The three key (dare I say, pivotal?) components that makes this salad work (again, for us) are a) the marinade we use for the chicken, b) the thinly sliced almonds replacing standard croutons, and c) homemade dressing. I swear, it's not as scary as it sounds. This is a perfect, easy weeknight meal. Half the time we even cook the chicken on Sunday night for dinner and reheat leftovers for these salads. Easy peasy.

O.K., so the marinade.... Once I started using these packets, I couldn't use anything else. The flavor is soooo delish.  The Garlic, Herb, & Wine is my go-to and never disappoints. I marinate at least 4-6 hours.

Holy Yum

You can use any base for the salad, but we always use romaine. It's totally personal preference for this part, but we like the crispness of romaine. A few months back when there was a big romaine recall, I went through serious withdrawal from this salad and majorly craved it. If you know me, you know how cray I get when get a hankering for something :)

Any veggies you like and will eat are also the perfect fillers. I typically do mushrooms, shredded carrots, and sliced cucumber. Full Disclosure: I "work around" the mushrooms but Tim loves them so in they go.

Instead of croutons, we use sliced almonds that can be found in the produce section of the grocery store. Two words- 'Game. Changer.' So crisp and yummy- the extra protein isn't too shabby either. 

The perfect alternative to croutons

To coat the salad, I never found a bottled dressing I LOVED. I don't prefer a creamy base and so many vinaigrettes just feel so greasy. It is really so easy and so much healthier to make your own. Equal parts extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a few shakes of salt and pepper whisked together tastes so fresh and so flavorful.

We combine everything in a large mixing bowl, top with warm chicken, and basically attack it. This is a definite weeknight win for us and the cleanup isn't bad, either. Maddie will eat this with us but I also give her something like a waffle with peanut butter to make sure she has enough in her belly. Charlie will not touch this with a ten foot pole, so I make something else for him, too. Life with toddlers!

Ingredients:

Salad base of choice (Romaine, spinach, etc)

Veggies of choice (mushrooms, cucumbers, carrots, etc. work great)

Sliced almond salad toppers

Marinated, cooked, and chopped chicken breasts (boneless skinless thin sliced work great)

Dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Mix salad base, veggies, and half of the almonds in a large bowl. Add freshly whisked dressing and toss. 

Top with warm chicken and remaining almonds. Serve with a generously buttered warm roll. Enjoy!

Maddie and her PB waffles - Happy lil eater