Spinach and Chicken Salad

[kingfisherfd2]

Tonight I had a spinach salad that was topped with, some cherry flavored Craisins, pecan pieces, blue cheese crumble, and a chicken breast that I cut into long thin strips and sauted with EVOO, Salt, pepper and a little chili powder for a kick. Dressing was a 1/4 C. balsalmic vinger with about a tsp. of honey, then I reduced it down to a thick syrup and drizzled it over the entire salad.

This was a trial run for making it for some friends that I have already shared dinners with 2 times this week. It also was the first time that I got to use my new Bamboo cutting board.

Now for a Question, Does anyone have some suggestions for something to pair with this? I think I will serve a Chardonay with it.

thanks
kingfisher

[jkath]

That salad sounds lovely!

How about some type of "toasties", such as bruschetta, only not italian. Perhaps some bread rounds you've oven broiled with various cheeses.

How was the Bamboo cutting board?

[kingfisherfd2]

It was nice, It has rubber feet and cups cut into the underside for a handle. Washed up really easy. But the best part is it raises my work surface about an inch. It seems like my hands are at a more comfortable angle to the surface. The little things in life that make it better.

[Constance]

Kingfisher, We like grilled chicken for use in salads. Usually, Kim cooks several, and we have them in sandwiches or what have you one night, then have the leftover cooked chicken for use in other dishes. Our favorite marinade is Italian dressing, but there are many alternatives to that.
I like the idea of the blue cheese, but I'd use some cooked, crumbled bacon and grape tomatoes to go with. You could also grill some nice sweet red peppers when you do the chicken. That would go nicely with your Balsamic vinaigrette.

I haven't tried it, but I've always wondered about using an orange flavored marinade on the chcken, then a warm, orange flavored vinaigrette with spinach.

By the way, we have Kingfishers around here, in the river bottoms, and they are very pretty.

[QSis]

Well, kingfisher, it begs for some sort of starchy thing to go with.

Here are a couple of suggestions that I would like to have along with your elegant salad (Trader Joe's sells a similar one that my aunt SWOONS over!).

Lee

Olive Cake (I haven't tried this yet, but it's in my "to do" file) http://frenchfood.about.com/od/horsd.../olivecake.htm

Cup of baked potato soup

Croissants

Warm soft pretzels

Orange-Cranberry Bubble Bread

1/2 c dried cranberries
1/3 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp grated orange rind
6 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
2 (10 count) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough
Cooking spray
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 c packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine first 4 ingredients.

Working with 1 biscuit at a time (covering remaining biscuits to keep from drying), pat each biscuit into a 3" circle. Spoon about 1 tsp cream cheese mixture into center of each circle. Gather dough over filling to form a ball, pinching seam to seal.

Place filled biscuits, seam sides up, in a 13x9" baking pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle butter over biscuits. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until lightly browned.


MaryAnn's Onion Walnut Muffins


1 large onion to make a cup of puree, I used sweet Texas
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 hal tsp walnuts coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups flour

Puree the onion
Beat together butter, eggs, sugar then add the onion
Stir in the rest of the ingredients in the order given and mix thoroughly
Fill greased muffin tins almost full
Bake in preheated 425 oven for 20 minutes or till puffed and brown

Honestly, they were delicious and go great with smoked food. Something different with really good texture. Not that Atkins unfriendly. Got the recipe from the Washington Post Magazine a long time ago, and they got it from the Hudson River Valley Cookbook. I would not recommend adding herbs, cheese, or anything else to these, would detract from the sweet/savory/oniony flavor. Feel free to share this

[kingfisherfd2]

thanks for the suggestions.
Constance, can I use your Kingfisher picture and edit it down for a avatar?

I ended up not making the salad with the chicken. I just made it as a complimentary side for a meal last friday over at a friends.
I would still like to make it for a meal though.
The savory muffins sound awesome.

Thanks.
Phil