Spinach Salad w/ Lemon-Pepper Chicken, Candied Walnuts, & Raspberry Vinaigrette

a red, red raspberry

I was a creative writing English major and one of my favorite poems we studied was A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns. I like the rhythm and rhyme and, of course, the idea of loving someone to the end of time. While Burns chose to liken his love to a red rose, I'm loving this season's red raspberries. They have been especially beautiful and tasty.

For this recipe I'm building out a spring salad. There are many pieces to this recipe and you don't have to make each piece. Feel free to buy rotisserie chicken or candied walnuts, but if you have the time, I suggest making each item. It really doesn't take as long as you would think! The star of the salad is the dressing, so if anything, just make that to top your favorite salad. Make this recipe for your luve. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4

Lemon-Pepper Chicken

~2 lbs. Chicken Breast, pounded to 1/2 in. thick

2 Lemons

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Candied Walnuts

1 C Whole Walnuts

1/4 C Powdered Sugar

1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1/8 tsp. Kosher Salt

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1C Fresh Raspberries (~1 Pint)

1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar

1 T Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp. Honey

1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Salad

5oz. Package Baby Spinach

1/2 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 Large Green Apple, cubed

4oz. Goat Cheese, crumbled

Directions

Start by making the chicken: In a large resealable bag add the zest of 1 lemon, juice of 2 lemons, 2-3 T olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and the chicken. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken. Place the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for 2-4 hours.

When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the bag to a plate, discard the bag and marinade. Season with a little more pepper on each side. Then grill (or cook in a skillet) until cooked through. Rest the chicken on a cutting board for 5 minutes, then thinly slice.

Make the candied walnuts: Follow the directions from this Food Network recipe, but be sure to use my measurements. Based on the comments, I've upped the cayenne pepper. Allow the nuts to cool completely before assembling the salad.

Make the raspberry vinaigrette: In a blender combine all of the ingredients except the salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend together once more. Set aside until the salad is assembled.

Assemble the salad: Arrange 4 dinner plates with the spinach. Top each evenly with the red onion, apple, thinly sliced lemon-pepper chicken, goat cheese, and candied walnuts. Finally, pour the vinaigrette over the salad. Be sure not to over-dress, there will be more than enough dressing. Serve immediately with any extra dressing at the table. Enjoy!