As you know, I am practically joined at the hip with America’s Test Kitchen’s brand Cook’s Illustrated. Never before have I used a cookbook more than I do with their brilliant Best 30 Minute Recipe.
Not to beat a dead horse or anything but… GET THIS BOOK. If I could buy this book for all my friends, I would. Actually, maybe I will for Christmas…
Okay, if you’re on my Christmas list, don’t buy this book. Ha!
We’ve had a lot of BBQ’s and Potlucks to go to, and I’ve been wanting something simple to bring that doesn’t require a crock pot…
…and I’ll eat any salad that has tons of “stuff” in it. The mix of salt and sweet in this salad makes it a total hit and takes a whopping 15 minutes to throw together. SOLD!
Now when I take this to a potluck, I omit the chicken. If I’m serving it as a dinner, I add the chicken. The protein helps fill up your belly and won’t let you go hungry. I’m not a rabbit and won’t be satisfied by nibbling on a few pieces of lettuce.
Salad with Chicken, Cheddar, Apple and Spiced Pecans
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 4
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette (recipe below) – or another sweet dressing you already have on hand
10 cups of romaine lettuce torn into bite-sized pieces – or whatever you have on hand; I like baby spinach
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced thin
1 cup spiced pecans (recipe below)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1. Brown chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes.
2. Poach chicken, prepare vinaigrette and spiced pecans: Flip chicken over, add water, and cover. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Transfer to carving board and cool slightly. While the chicken cooks, make vinaigrette and spiced pecans (recipes below).
3. Dress and assemble salad: Toss lettuce, cheddar, apple, pecans, and dried cranberries with 3/4 cup of the vinaigrette. Divide salad between individual plates. Slice chicken on bias and arrange over greens. Spoon remaining vinaigrette over chicken or pass separately.
Ooh… Ah… Oh…
And now for the extra recipes needed to make this dish. As a side note, I don’t often serve the vinaigrette below. I have some sweet stuff on hand from the store that I use — a sweetened Italian vinaigrette and a light raspberry almond vinaigrette. Whatever sweet vinaigrette you have in the fridge is fine.
Also, do not omit the spiced pecans! They’re the best part.
Quick Spiced Pecans
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 tablespoon sugar
Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Stir in spices, sugar and pecans. Toast nuts, stirring often, until the color of nuts deepens slightly, about 6 minutes. Cool.
Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette
Courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1 shallot, peeled
1 small garlic clove, peeled
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt & ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. Rehydrate cranberries: Combine cranberry juice and dried cranberries in microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high power until hot, about 1 minute.
2. Blend vinaigrette: Process hot cranberry mixture, vinegar, shallot, garlic, thyme, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in blender until shallot and garlic are finely chopped, about 15 seconds. Add oil and continue to process until smooth and emulsified, about 15 – 20 seconds.
If you try this one out, let me know what you think!