Chicken Arugula Avocado Salad with Rosemary Garlic Balsamic Dressing

Fed 4

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breast, tenderized
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 oz arugula
• 1/2 red onion, finely sliced
• 4 avocados, cubed
• 1/4 cup garbanzo beans
• 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 3 tablespoons feta cheese
• (optional) 1 tablespoon roasted pine nuts

Dressing

• 2 whole garlic bulbs
• 1 cup olive oil
• 3 rosemary sprigs, separate leaves from stems
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Cooking

Dressing (best to make first)

1. wrap garlic bulbs in foil just so the top of the garlic is sticking out, drizzle with some olive oil and place in a baking dish. bake in oven at 375F for 25 - 30 minutes or until garlic is soft. remove from oven and let cool.
2. in a sauce pot, add the olive oil and the rosemary and cook on low heat for 10 - 15 minutes to allow the rosemary to steep/infuse into the oil. remove from heat and remove the rosemary from the oil.
3. take the garlic and cut the bottom of the bulb off. squeeze the garlic out into a bowl. mash to paste-like pulp and scrape it into a blender. pour the olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar into the blender. pulse a few times at first, then set on a medium-high blend speed (mine was either mix or puree). pour into a bowl or a bottle and set in fridge until ready to use.

Salad

1. take the chicken breast and place them on a layer of plastic wrap on a cutting board. place another layer of plastic wrap over the chicken breast. with a tenderizer mallet (or the lower palm of your hand) tenderize the breasts.
2. in a bowl, combine the olive oil, cumin, curry powder, salt, pepper, lime juice. remove chicken from plastic wrap and place in the bowl and come and mix very well with the chicken. let marinate in fridge for at least 4 hours.
3. grill chicken on both sides in a cast iron or frying pan, on both sides, for 5 minutes or until browned. remove from heat and let sit to cool.
4. in a large salad bowl or any good large sized bowl, combine the arugula, cherry tomatoes, avocado, red onion, bell pepper and garbanzo beans. take the now cooled down chicken and cut into desired cuts (I did strips). add the feta cheese and pine nuts (can also leave the feta to be served for personal dishing instead of mixing it into to the whole salad).
5. pour over desired amount of dressing and toss and mix and combine well. can also just mix and combine salad and leave dressing for personal serving. (optional) can also add olives and toasted broken-up pit bread.

bon appetit