Chicken Cornucopia Salad

I have been doing only salads lately. You name it, you got it. I want to share a recipe that includes chicken breasts. Ever heard of it?

Ever since I can remember, chicken salad is the most popular – and common –  type of salad there is. The reason why chicken salad is a favorite, is because chicken is the most versatile meat that is readily available to us today.

Chicken – probably the most consumed meat in the world – can be prepared in many ways due to its neutral flavor that can be mixed with most ingredients.

I personally love chicken breasts with mustard since it has a strong, sharp flavor that – to my opinion – pairs well with the neutral taste of chicken.

My chicken breast salad has a creamy mustard dressing that I love making. Even though I rather eat salad with a light vinaigrette  – or with just lemon juice and olive oil, I like to vary by trying out some creamy salad dressing that I make myself. I never buy commercial salad dressings since they are usually loaded with MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, too much sodium, additives and preservatives.

Chicken cornucopia salad

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 3 cups of lamb’s lettuce
• 1 cup of radicchio cut into pieces
• about 10-12 cherry tomatoes
• 3 teaspoons of pine nuts
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed green peppercorns
• salt to taste

For mustard dressing

• 2 tablespoons of whole grain mustard (or granary mustard)
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of honey (I used acacia honey)
• 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

This is lamb’s lettuce, also called field greens, machê, or nut lettuce. It has a nutty, tangy flavour – excellent for salads.

To make the sauce, combine all dressing ingredients and blend well until creamy. Refrigerate for about an hour or overnight.

Cut tomatoes in halves and combine with lamb’s lettuce, radicchio, and pine nuts.

Add dressing and toss well.

Meanwhile, with the use of a meat mallet pound chicken breast until very thin. When pounding, be careful not to tear chicken breasts!

Season chicken breasts with salt and crushed red peppercorns. Rub some dressing on chicken breasts.

Heat olive oil on a grilling pan and place chicken breasts. Grill until done.

Using a toothpick, join together both ends of one of the longer sides of the chicken breasts.

Fill each chicken cornucopia with the salad. Arrange chicken cornucopias on a plate and add more salad coming out of  the cornucopia. Sprinkle with some crushed green peppercorns.

Serves 2.