Spinach Salad With Chicken Avocado And Pine Nuts Recipes

CHICKEN, AVOCADO AND SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook in skillet, turning once, until juices run clear (about 12 minutes).
• Slice into thin strips and place in large bowl.
• In separate bowl, whisk together salt and pepper, garlic and vinegar.
• Slowly whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil.
• Stir in shallots, tomatoes, and basil.
• Spoon 1/4 cup of the dressing over chicken and toss to coat.
• Toss spinach with remaining dressing and divide among 4 serving plates; top evenly with chicken and avocado slices.

WARM CHICKEN, MUSHROOM, AND SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Press a scant tablespoon parsley onto skin side of each breast. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Place breasts, skin side down, in skillet; cook until golden, about 8 minutes per side.
• Remove chicken from skillet, and transfer to a roasting pan. Place roasting pan in oven. Roast until chicken cooks through, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, return skillet to stove. Add onion; cook, stirring, until just golden, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add wine; scrape skillet's bottom to release cooked-on juices. Cook until wine is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar; cook 1 minute more. Stir in remaining parsley; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; stir in butter.
• Remove chicken from oven. Place spinach on plates. Slice each breast into sixths; arrange over spinach. Spoon mushroom mixture over chicken, drizzling juices over spinach, and serve.

SPINACH SALAD WITH PENNE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water., In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cheese, vinaigrette, pine nuts, basil and pasta. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN, AVOCADO AND FETA SALAD

Steps:

• To save time and effort, I usually get a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Remove skin and chop breasts; add other pieces of chicken if necessary to get to two cups.
• Chop the avocados into medium-sized pieces, mix with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice to prevent browning, and season avocado with garlic salt to taste. Put in large bowl with chicken.
• Top with onion, feta cheese, pine nuts and cilantro. Toss gently to combine, taking care not to break up or mash the avocado.
• Whisk mayo, dijon and the remaining tablespoon of the lemon juice to make the dressing. Add a bit of water if too thick. Season the dressing with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Drizzle over salad and again toss gently to dress.
• Serve right away or chill for a while before serving. This can be served inside pita bread or sandwich bread, or over a bed of greens/spinach, but we also like to eat it as is.