Chicken and Pear Salad with Vinaigrette

Salad! I really enjoy a hearty salad for a meal. We had some pears and feta around, but I think some goat cheese would be even better here. You can sub whatever seasonings you prefer for the chicken, or even buy that pre-cooked stuff if you are really strapped for time. I used an old baby food jar to hold the vinaigrette until we were ready to serve it, as I made the salad ahead of time.

Chicken and Pear Salad with Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 large chicken breast
1 T. canola oil
herbs de provence
salt and pepper

lettuce leaves, washed and torn (you can use any salad greens you like, obviously)
carrots, chopped or baby
1/4 of an English cucumber, sliced
1/2 of a pear, skinned and sliced
about 1/4 c. crumbled feta

3 green onions, coarsely chopped
3 T. honey
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
about 1/4 c. olive oil

In a small fry pan, heat the canola oil over medium. When it's hot, add the chicken. Season the top side of the chicken with the herbs, salt, and pepper. When the bottom is browned, flip, then cook until opaque. Remove from pan and allow to rest. After you are finished with the rest of the salad, slice.

In a small food processor bowl (or blender), add the green onions, honey, soy sauce, pepper flakes and vinegar. Turn the processor on. When the mixture is blended and onions are pretty pulverized, drizzle the oil in slowly. Feel free to add more oil if you like, this recipe is pretty light on oil and also fairly strong in flavor.

In a large bowl, assemble the salads: add the veggies, pears, cheese, and chicken slices. Drizzle with dressing and serve. This is enough for two salads (and you should have enough vinaigrette left over for another salad or two later in the week).