Spinach Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

My first recipe from my 21 days of healthy eating is finished.  I knew salads were going to be a big part of this diet so why not start with one.  This Spinach Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette recipe is somewhat of a twist on something I had at a restaurant down town.  Healthy enough and tasty enough to be on the menu for sure!  There are definitely some power greens added to this salad including spinach, arugula and kale.  So to make this salad have a little more sustenance to it, I thought I’d add on some chicken breasts.  Not just any chicken breasts, lemon and thyme roasted chicken breasts 🙂  You know I’m not going to be boring when it comes to making recipes, even healthy ones.  The hardest part about eating like this is knowing how much of thing I can and can’t have.  So I just figured instead of measuring all of these little things that once it’s put together it becomes the proper amount.  So now that I have made this Spinach Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette recipe I am trying to utilize the left over ingredients from it.  Let’s see what I can come up with!!

A shot of the chicken after it was cooked!

Some of the greens and veggies before adding the dressing…

A shot of the finished product.

And a big fat picture for you to pin!

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Spinach Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Try this delicious and refreshing Spinach Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette. Add in asparagus, peas and radishes for a little kick.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 4 cups of packed power greens
• 1/2 cup of thinly shaven radishes
• 1/2 cup of cooked and thinly sliced asparagus
• 1/2 cup of cooked peas
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

For the Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup of olive oil

For the Chicken:

• one 8 ounce chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a saute pan on high heat with 1 teaspoon of olive oil add in a seasoned chicken breasts. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the the chicken over, squeeze on the lemon juice, add in the squeezed lemon, place the thyme sprigs right on top of the chicken and finish cooking in the oven on 350° for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the pan and let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing.
2. Place the Parmesan cheese, vinegar, and dijon mustard into a blender and turn it to high. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing has emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To Make: Place the greens, radishes, asparagus and peas into a bowl and add in some dressing and toss. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve with the sliced chicken breast.