I wonder

Chicken - Power Kale Salad

During finals week last month, I did my best to choose healthy meals that might enhance our brain functioning. I took risks that week with all the things I made. 

One meal I particularly enjoyed was the Power Kale Salad that I saw in my BHG magazine. 

Their image:
Power Kale Salad


My image:

I had never had kale before, well maybe in a smoothie when Rob and I did a cleanse a few years back, but I don't recall ever eating it. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it.

In fact, a few days prior to seeing this recipe, I had been discussing food and gardening with a co-worker and she recommended planting kale. She said it's easy to grow and it tastes kind of like spinach. So when I saw this recipe, I felt like all the stars aligned perfectly just for me to try this. 

I LOVED THE KALE! 

I'm still figuring out the baking stuff for chicken, so I didn't enjoy the chicken that much. I do think this is my fault and don't think it should be eliminated from the recipe. I'm finding that I can grill chicken on the George Foreman Grill in 12 minutes or so and the chicken is perfect. Chicken in the oven though, haven't an idea so I always screw it up.

This salad had so much flavor and was easy to make. The good thing too is without the chicken, it makes a great salad for lunch. 

Another nice thing about this recipe is that if you're a vegetarian, just leave the chicken out. The salad is excellent on it's own. 

I do recommend this and I will be making this often. 

ingredients
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lbs.)
  • 3 tablespoons  olive oil
  • 2 seedless tangerines or oranges
  • 1/2 teaspoon  salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon  coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup  dried tart red cherries
  • 1/2 cup  pomegranate-blueberry juice blend
  • 1 tablespoon  red wine vinegar
  • 4 ounces  green or purple kale leaves, shredded (4 cups)
  • 1/2 cup  thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 red or green pear, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 ounce  Parmesan cheese, shaved
directions
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush chicken with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil. Transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet. Finely shred 2 tsp. peel from the tangerines. Peel tangerines; slice crosswise and set aside. Sprinkle chicken with tangerine peel, 1/4 tsp. of the salt, and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until done (165 degrees F). Transfer to a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, place cherries in a small microwave-safe bowl. Add pomegranate-blueberry juice; microwave 30 seconds. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain cherries, reserving juice; set cherries aside.
3.For dressing, in a small bowl whisk together reserved juice, remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil, vinegar, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper. Pour half of the dressing into a large bowl. Add kale and onion; toss to coat. Transfer to a serving platter.
4.Slice chicken; arrange over kale mixture with tangerines and pear. Top with cherries and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

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