A beautifully balanced, nutrient-packed grilled chicken with pear vinaigrette on mesclun salad recipe—fresh, flavorful, and designed to leave you feeling energized and satisfied, not weighed down.

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

  • 2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (5 to 6 ounces each) pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil
  • sea salt & pepper

Directions for Chicken:

  1. Heat grill to medium-high.
  2. Rub chicken breasts with oil.
  3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Grill until grill marks have formed and chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
  5. Remove from heat and let rest for 3 minutes
  6. Slice into 1/4-inch-thick slices for presentation (20 slices in total)

Pear Vinaigrette

Ingredients:                                                                                         Makes 2/3 cup

  • 5 Tablespoons hazelnut oil OR pecan oil (if all else fails, use avocado oil)
  • 3 Tablespoons pear vinegar OR Cider vinegar plus 1/4 of a peeled pear chopped and blended into dressing
  • 1/2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave to taste
  • Sea Salt & pinch cayenne pepper to taste
  • 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (add 1/4 of a pear when blending if you use the pear vinegar (not if you are already adding pear with the cider vinegar)
  • 1/2-pint fresh raspberries
  • Optional: 1 Tablespoon chopped shallot
  • Nut of choice toasted (1/4 cup hazelnuts or 1/2 cup whole pecans)
  • Mesclun salad mix, 12 oz.

Directions for Pear Vinaigrette:

  1. In a blender, blend all ingredients except for nuts and salad mix.
  2. Adjust flavor to taste (sweeter, sourer, saltier or spicier?)
  3. Toast hazelnuts in the oven at 300°F for approximately 10 minutes or until they brown slightly. Let cool, then chop.

OR spiced toasted pecans:

  1. Toast pecans in the oven at 300°F for approximately 10 minutes or until they brown slightly.
  2. Remove to a bowl and immediately drizzle with 1 tablespoon real maple syrup, a pinch of sea salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper; stir well and let cool.

Assembly of Salad:

  1. Arrange sliced pears and raspberries around the outside edge of 4 plates
  2. Toss the Mesclun with half of the dressing and distribute evenly mounded in the middle of the plates
  3. Arrange the chicken slices like a star on the salad
  4. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts or arrange the pecans nicely.
  5. Top the chicken slices with the rest of the dressing and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

  • Free of wheat, gluten, grains, dairy, corn, soy, egg, and refined sugar.
  • GF, DF, Paleo Friendly!

For More Recipes, go to www.LisaStimmer.com