3chicken breast halves, about 1 1/2 lb total skinless, boneless
salt
*Mrs. Dash seasoning
olive oil
Poppyseed Dressing:
1/4cupwhite sugar
1teaspoonstevia sweetener, or two additional tablespoons sugar
1/2cupapple cider vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
1/8cuporange juice
1teaspoonsalt
2teaspoonsDijon mustard
1teaspoonminced onion
1cupvegetable oil or canola oil
1 tablespoonpoppy seeds
Salad:
1large head romaine lettuce, washed, chopped
1- 6ozbag spinach or spring mix
greens combined should equal about 15 cups total
1can mandarin oranges, drained well
1/2lbstrawberries, washed and sliced
1pintblueberries, washed and patted dry
1cuppineapple, sliced into chunks, then thinly sliced (about 1/2 of a medium size pineapple)
1cuppecans, toasted and cut in half
Instructions
For the chicken:
Lay the chicken on a plate. Generously salt and season one side of the chicken breast with Mrs. Dash seasoning.
Heat a heavy pan over medium to medium-high heat. Pour the olive oil in the pan while it's heating up and place the chicken, seasoned side down in the pan and cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, season the side facing upward. If needed, add a little more oil to the pan when turning chicken. After the chicken has cooked for a total of ten minutes ( 5 minutes on each side), remove the pan from heat and cover loosely with foil. Let sit for an additional 5-7 minutes in pan. Remove the chicken from the pan and let cool completely on a cutting board.
Slice thin and set aside for salad. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Poppyseed Dressing:
In a blender or food processor, combine the sugar, stevia, vinegar, orange juice, salt, mustard, and onion, and process for 20 seconds. With the blender on high, gradually add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Remove from the blender and stir in the poppy seeds. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use. Shake well before using on salad.
For the salad:
Using a large bowl or platter, arrange the greens on the platter. Sprinkle with a few pieces of fruit. Layer additional greens. Place the remaining fruits and chopped pecans on the greens. Top with sliced chicken. Drizzle about half of the dressing on the salad. Toss before serving. you may also plate the salad individually. In this case, toss the greens with the dressing and place on plates. Top each plate with fruit, nuts and chicken. Serve immediately.
Yields about 15 generous side servings.
Notes
Mrs. Dash is found in most grocery stores near the spices.