I haven't posted a recipe in SO LONG with the holidays, final exams, and ski season filling up my time! But now I'm finally back in a groove and back to cooking! I decided to start it out with a healthy salad to counterbalance all the eating out I've been doing while skiing in the mountains. This salad is big, delicious, savory, and adds a touch of spring time with asparagus!
INGREDIENTS
-1/2 bag chopped romaine lettuce
-~10 cherry tomatoes
-1/4 bunch asparagus
-1 bocconcini (bite sized) mozzarella ball
-3-4 leaves fresh basil
-1 small chicken breast
-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
DIRECTIONS
1. Begin by prepping some of the salad toppers. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Chiffonade the basil leaves. Thinly slice the bocconcini mozzarella. And snap the hard ends off of the asparagus.
2. Place the chopped lettuce on a large plate. Add the tomatoes, basil, and sliced mozzarella on top of the lettuce in groups.
3. Next, bring a pot of water to boil. Prepare an ice bath (a bowl of cold water with ice cubes). And heat olive oil in a small skillet.
4. Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the chicken to the skillet, cover with foil, and cook for 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is finished cooking, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, remove from the skillet, and let the chicken rest for about 4 minutes. Then slice the chicken and plate.
5. While the chicken cooks, add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Remove the asparagus to the ice bath once finished cooking to "shock" the asparagus and preserve the vibrant green color. Then remove the asparagus from the ice bath and plate on the salad.
6. Finally, add the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Italian seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a small mason jar. Shake the dressing and drizzle about 1/3 of the dressing over the salad.