Grilled Turkey Salad

This dinner has got to be my absolute favorite salad ever. And it's super easy too. I get tired of the same old salads. And I have reached a point where a veggie salad just doesn't fill me up. I need more substance to make me full. Sure you can eat something with your salad to get you full, but this way is healthy and very low on carbs. I use lots of protein. I normally use chicken breasts or chicken tenders. Tenders are easier and quicker to cook on my George Forman. But today I used some turkey cutlets I found hidden in my freezer. So what do you need??

spring green mixture or any green leafy salad mix you like, butter lettuce also works nicely
dried cranberries
1/2 apple or 1/2 pear, sliced and diced
blue cheese ( I prefer gorgonzola)
toasted pecans or walnuts
chicken tenders or breasts
salt and pepper (if you have a 4-pepper blend its awesome here)
Apricot Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

In a large bowl place your leafy greens, handful or two of dried cranberries, diced fruit, toasted nuts, and 2 spoonfuls or so of blue cheese. Season your chicken with salt and pepper. I use a George Forman to grill my chicken, but you can use a real grill, bake, or saute in a medium skillet with 1T olive oil until golden. Let your chicken rest and make your dressing.

Apricot Vinaigrette:
2T apricot jam/preserves (more if you like it sweeter)
1T dijon mustard
1/2t black pepper
4T red wine vinegar
dash of salt
4T-1/4c olive oil

In a small bowl whisk apricot, mustard, pepper, vinegar, and salt. Start adding olive oil a couple of drops at a time while whisking. Add a few more drops of olive oil and continue whisking. Once you get about 1/3 of your olive oil whisked in you can add more olive oil while whisking until you get all of the oil completely emulsified into the vinegar mixture. For a more tart tasting dressing use equal or less oil in your dressing. For a milder dressing using equal to double parts oil in your dressing.

Now that you've made the dressing, slice your meat and place on top of your salad. Top with apricot vinaigrette. It is fabulous...I promise you. And you can make it sweeter by using more jam or more tart with more vinegar. But the main thing is how great it tastes and how good for you it is.

What is amusing about this dish is that while Alex was in Afghanistan this made his top 10 dinner list for when he returned home. I was shocked! I thought it would be ribs or soup or asian food. But I was not expecting grilled chicken salad. So I feel really honored this made his list. It also goes to show everyone that I do not eat very unhealthy meals on a weekly basis. You make one Paula Dean gooey butter cake for a party and people label you as the butter girl. Well to be honest, this is more my weekly food style than my known dishes. Those are my special dishes. So I hope this peaks your interest!!