Roasted Chicken Salad with Toasted Almonds, Cranberries, and Balsamic

What do you do with leftovers? You make a heck of a salad, that’s what. With the chicken from the chicken Dijon (or any other of a million baked chicken recipes…), this is a quick meal. Skip the nut coating and cooking and just toss it with the greens and things. Or you can roast the chicken with some crushed nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews—whatever you have), a little Dijon, and salt and pepper. Then add some dried fruit and more toasted nuts (optional) on a bed of greens. I had an aged blueberry balsamic vinegar that I poured over top. It’s like syrup, really…but you can do a simple balsamic and olive oil dressing and you’ll still smile plenty at the result. Do you trust me?

Roasted Chicken Salad with Toasted Almonds, Cranberries, and Balsamic

Chicken:
2 boneless chicken breasts (with or without skin)
2 tbsp Dijon or grainy mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp crushed walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, almonds, brazil nuts or other nuts or seeds

Rub chicken with remaining ingredients. Bake in 350°F oven for 20 minutes, or until no longer pink (or thickest part of breast reaches 136°F on a meat thermometre). Optionally broil for 1 minute on high heat by placing right below the broiler element, or for 3 minutes on low heat (this toasts the nuts and make them infinitely better if they haven’t already toasted during the baking). Remove from oven and transfer to plate. Cover to keep warm until needed.

Salad:
2 tbsp slivered almonds
2 tbsp dried cranberries
6 cups mixed greens or lettuce
1 tomato, sliced optional
Blueberry balsamic or other reduced balsamic to drizzle on top OR 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 2 tbsp olive oil mixed with a pinch of salt and pepper. Use as a dipping sauce or pour on top and toss to combine.

Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, shaking and turning regularly so they brown evenly. Set the timer so they don’t burn!! Cook longer if they’re not brown and aromatic yet. Remove from heat immediately to a small plate or bowl.

Serve salad by dividing greens between plates, placing tomatoes on top, tossing on the toasted almonds and cranberries. Slice the chicken and stack on top. Drizzle balsamic or balsamic dressing on top, if desired.