Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved salads and vegetables. (My after school snack used to be raw broccoli and cauliflower chopped up and mixed with a Seven Seas salad dressing.) It’s a trait I get from my dad, whereas my mom’s go-to phrase has always been ‘I don’t eat anything green’ 🙂
I could happily eat a salad every single day, and often make a quick and easy one to have as a side dish. (My favorite these days is arugula or romaine with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds, then topped with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.) But I also LOVE a heartier salad that can serve as your whole meal. This one from Blue Apron started in our rotation about two years ago, and I have made it countless times since then. It’s the best!! I tweak it slightly – full recipe below.
Ingredients
1 bunch of chives
1 clove of garlic
1 head of iceberg lettuce
1 fuji apple
1 lemon
2 chicken breasts
2 ounces blue cheese (or gorgonzola)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Instructions for the salad
-Cook the chicken breasts however you prefer. I use this method for stovetop, and this method for oven. While the chicken is cooking do the following:
-Prepare the produce: Mince the chives, peel and chop the garlic, then smash it until it resembles a paste (I use the flat edge of a butter knife). Remove the outer layer of the iceberg lettuce, then cut the head into quarters and remove the core. Cut the lemon into quarters. Dice the apple, then squeeze the juice of one lemon on top to prevent browning.
-Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, blue cheese, garlic paste and the juice from the remaining three lemon wedges. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add 1 tablespoon of water to create a looser dressing (I always do this). Then try not to drink the dressing, because it’s so crazy delicious you will probably be tempted to 🙂
-Once the chicken is finished, wait for it to cool slightly and then chop into bite-size pieces.
-Place 1 – 2 iceberg wedges on each plate and season with your best olive oil, salt and pepper. Top the lettuce with the chopped chicken, chives, apples and drizzle the dressing on top.
P.S. The original recipe calls for a bunch of extra things that I don’t use because my tastes continue to get simpler and simpler as I get older. So if you’re inclined, you can add walnuts, bacon or turkey bacon, and tarragon to your salad. Check out the recipe here.
