Cool Weather, Warm Salad!
Warm spinach salad, bursting with mushrooms and peppers, and a mustardy sauce topped with crispy potato “croutons”.
One of the first “western dishes” I ever made as a young teenager, I marveled at how much flavor you could get without the myriad spices I was accustomed to cooking with in India.
Here I’ve played with the seasonings and mustards to make a “salad” of slightly wilted spinach with chicken and vegetables topped with crispy potatoes. BE BRAVE and up the health benefits by making sweet potato croutons instead. And feel free to make this vegan by eliminating the bacon and chicken and substituting with seasoned lentils.
As the cooler weather approaches, I love playing with my salads so I still feel like I’m eating a nice warm meal, while getting my daily servings of antioxidant rich veggies.
Enjoying salads all year round!
Warm Chicken Salad with Potato “Croutons”
Ingredients
(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)
1 ½ lb potatoes, cubed
4-5 tablespoons O&V Garlic EVOO *
2 strips bacon, diced
1½ lb chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon O&V Rosamarino Dipper Seasoning mix *
6 sprigs thyme, roughly chopped
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
4 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
1 large red pepper thinly sliced
8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
2 lb baby spinach leaves, large stems removed
1½ – 2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons O&V Whiskey Mustard or Devil’s Mustard *
2 tablespoons O&V Marc de Champagne vinegar *
Crusty bread to serve at the table
Fresh chopped parsley to garnish
Lemon wedges to serve
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to 475 F.
Place cubed potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle liberally with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender and brown (Stir the potatoes and turn over after 10-12 minutes in the oven).
In a large skillet, add the bacon and cook till crisp. Remove and set aside. Reserve the skillet for the next step.
Cut chicken into thin strips, season with salt, pepper and dipper mix. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet. Spread the chicken in an even layer in the skillet and sprinkle with thyme. Let chicken brown for 4-5 minutes without moving it, then give the meat a stir.
Add the onion, garlic, celery, red pepper, mushroom and cook for another 5-7 minutes
Add chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the mustard and stir to combine. Bring to a bubble and simmer for 4-5 minutes till only ¼ cup liquid is left in the skillet. Season will salt and pepper to taste. Add the vinegar and turn heat off
Place spinach in a bowl, add the contents of the skillet and toss everything together. Top with the roasted potatoes “croutons” and crispy bacon and serve with crusty bread.
Serves 4
Active time 35 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes
Notes
* The Garlic EVOO adds a nice additional layer of flavor to the chicken along with the Rosamarino Dipper Seasoning mix. The Whiskey Mustard has amazing flavor but you can use the Devil’s Mustard for a little spicier kick or your favorite, grainy mustard. The crisp and light taste of the Marc de Champagne vinegar balances out the flavors in the dish.
You can replace the Garlic EVOO with a high quality Unflavored EVOO and add a little extra minced garlic. Substituting the dipper seasoning mix will definitely change out the flavor of this dish, but you can try your favorite herb mix.
All highlighted products are available at Oil & Vinegar stores
Categories: Entrée, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Chicken, Warm Salad, Garlic EVOO, Whiskey Mustard, Devil’s Mustard, Rosemary Dipper, Marc de Champagne, Potato Croutons, Mediterranean Diet,
