spicy honey chicken salad with honey citrus vinaigrette

i'm alive.  

to prove it, i'm posting the dinner we had last saturday after a visit to the local carnival.  we shared this delicious meal with my bro/sister-in-law and baby nephew.  it was very, very tasty.

we ate out on the back patio for the first time this year.  best time of year, fo' sho'.

{spicy honey chicken salad with honey citrus vinaigrette}

the chicken was delicious.  especially so cut up and eaten as part of the salad.  a perfect combination of flavors.

spicy honey chicken

printable recipe

recipes via our best bites

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (i used breasts because it's what i had and it was delicious)

2 tsp canola oil*(see note)

rub:

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

glaze:

1/2 cup honey

1 tbsp cider vinegar

combine the rub spices in a bowl and mix well.

drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all of the pieces.  toss the chicken with the spice rub to coat sides well.  (*you could also just spray the pieces with non stick spray and then sprinkle the rub evenly on each piece - this is what i did).

grill the chicken over low heat for 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked through.

while the chicken is cooking, warm the honey in a microwave save dish so that it is not thick.  add the vinegar and combine well.  reserve 2 tbsp of the glaze for later.  generously brush the rest on both sides of the chicken in the final minutes of grilling. 

cover cooked chicken with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  drizzle the remaining glaze over the chicken and serve with the salad.

spicy honey chicken salad

1-2 heads romaine and/or red leaf lettuce, rinsed and chopped

2 ripe but firm mangoes cut into 1" pieces or sliced

2-3 ripe but firm avocados cut into 1" pieces or sliced

optional: thinly sliced red onion for top

serve salad either by combining everything in a large bowl (included dressing) or, by making individual salads on each plate topped with the sliced chicken.

honey-citrus vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp grated onion

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 tbsp honey

3/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

process all ingredients except for oil in a food processor, blender or, if you're spoiled like me and your mom and dad gave you a handheld mixer for your birthday, use that instead.  once everything is mixed, slowly incorporate the oil.

enjoy with good company and then you're set.

nutritional info pending my non-laziness

simple salad with grilled portabello and balsamic dijon vinaigrette

{recipe adapted via annies eats}

when i first read annie's post about this salad i knew it was something i wanted to try so i grabbed some portabello mushrooms at my last trip to the store and then i sort of forgot about them.  when i finally noticed the mushrooms again i knew i needed to use them up right away so this became my lunch.  fancy, right?  i know, i spoil myself.

when the making began, it became quickly apparent that i was lacking many of the necessary ingredients to complete the recipe as is so i had to improvise to make my own version.

first, i marinated the mushrooms by lightly drizzling olive oil over the mushrooms and then spreading it around to cover the mushrooms completely (using my hands).  then i did the same with balsamic vinegar until the mushrooms were well coated.  i'd say i used a 1:2 ratio of oil and vinegar.  

while the mushrooms were soaking up the marinade i made the salad dressing.  

balsamic dijon vinaigrette

printable recipe

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup (scant*) olive oil

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

pinch of black pepper

combine.  i used a small mason jar by screwing the lid on tight and shaking the heck out of that jar.  the heck out of it, i say!  *i like a higher ratio of vinegar to oil so scant was probably a tablespoon shy of a 1/2 cup.

once the dressing was ready i grilled the mushrooms on the stove top for about 6 minutes per side over just above medium heat.

the warm mushrooms were perfect on the bed of greens with shaved parmesan.  yum. yum. yum.

we had some chicken leftover from my bday dinner that made this lunch a complete meal.  go me!

dressing yields approximately 10 - 2 tbsp servings

Nutrition Facts balsamic dijon vinaigrette Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 94 Total Fat 9.8g       Saturated Fat 1.4g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 92mg Carbohydrate 1.7g       Dietary Fiber 0g       Sugars 1.6g Protein 0g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium    0% Iron 3%