Rating: 💋 💋 💋 💋
Remember all my dad's culinary inventions? This salad is one of my favorite.
When I moved to Brooklyn in July 2019, I remember having such a bad craving for this salad. We did not have great grocery options near us and, since I was new to the area, I was still developing my food shopping game plan. For this reason, I had to make a lot of substitutions. Since I needed this salad on a very deep level, I was willing to make those sacrifices. For example, I had to use chicken-flavored vegan sausage, courtesy of the health food store that was our closest option aside from the bodegas. (I do love a good bodega, but not so much for salad ingredients.) It might have been a bit of a curious meal, but it was okay, and my craving for it stands as a testament to the greatness of my dad's original recipe. This was the first time I got to eat the true version since that chicken sausage scramble salad, and it was such a welcome return.
Chicken Salad à la Danny
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 5 oz spring mix
- 1 cup craisins (to taste)
- 12 oz mandarin oranges (more or less to taste)*
- 4 oz goat cheese
- raspberry vinaigrette
Preparation:
- Sauté the chicken breasts in olive oil in a pan over medium heat, giving about fifteen minutes to each side until the chicken is a bit golden and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, assemble spring mix, craisins, oranges, and crumbles of the goat cheese in a large salad bowl.
- Cut the chicken into strips and add to the bowl. Mix well.
- Serve with raspberry vinaigrette.
* (I go light on the oranges, personally)
I recommend not mixing the dressing in when you toss the salad, allowing each diner to drizzle their preferred amount of vinaigrette over their plate. It also helps the salad store better later. The savory chicken picks up all the sweet notes from the raspberry, and the orange's acidity paired with the slightly bitter undertones of the craisins make this a very well-rounded dish. It is quick, easy, and delicious. I love how it allows a little sweetness while still being healthy, and the craisins are definitely my favorite part. I love scooping up craisins onto a bite of chicken with a bit of that creamy goat cheese - perfection!
I feel like pine nuts would be a great addition to this salad. The great thing about salads like these is, you can mix it up based off of preferences and new ideas, and come out with a delicious new take on the og.
This is such a fun, refreshing weeknight dinner, and leftovers pack great for lunch throughout the week. Just be sure to leave the dressing off of the stored salad until right before eating, so the greens keep longer.
I do not have much else to add this week. My life has not really created any updates. I did just finish reading Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey and I absolutely loved it. His zest for life is so my vibe, and very inspiring. The spirituality, the freedom, the confidence, the acceptance of the flow of life ... all great life advice without ever getting too preachy or pretentious. This is his way of life and he is sticking to it. If you can take something from it, awesome. If it is not your style, awesome still. I enjoyed his stories and sense of humor. He has gone on so many cool adventures and recognizes who he is while staying pretty grounded. The book made me desperate to go float down the Amazon river. If anyone is looking for a travel buddy post-*****, let me know 😂
Leaving you with some of his words:
"Sometimes we have to leave what we know to find out what we know."
XX,
MK
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