I’m always looking for ways to be more creative with my salads.  I am famous for my salads.  I can look in the fridge, pull out some veggies and fruit, grab some ingredients out of the cabinet and throw it all together.  I know how to balance out crunchy, sweet, salty, creamy- it’s a gift, what can I say.  Salads can be as easy or as complicated as you need them to be.

Sometimes, at the end of a hot summer day, you don’t really feel like eating.  You want something light, something tasty and something easy. This recipe is all of those things.  Jazz it up or eat it as is- the choice is yours.

I based my recipe off this one.  (She has much better pictures than I do!!  Go check it out.)

Honey Mustard Chicken, Avocado & Bacon Salad

Ingredients:

for the dressing/marinade:

• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• salt to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts

for salad:

• 1/4 cup diced bacon
• 4 cups Romain lettuce, washed (or mixed greens- your choice)
• 1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
• 1 large avocado, pitted and sliced

Directions:

• Whisk the dressing/marinade ingredients together in a small bowl to combine.  Pour half the marinade into a shallow dish or a gallon ziplock bag and then add the chicken fillets for ~2 hours or at least 30 minutes.  Refrigerate the other half of the marinade to use as dressing.
• Now, you have two choices- you can cook your chicken on the stove or on the grill.  I say go for the grill, if you have one.  Heat your grill and cook the chicken ~5 minutes per side.  Once all the chicken is cooked, set aside to rest.
• Cook the bacon in a skillet on the stove until crispy.  Set aside on a plate with a paper towel.
• Slice the chicken into strips and prepare the salad.  Add the tomatoes, avocado, bacon and then chicken.
• Whisk 2 tablespoons of water into the remaining dressing and drizzle over the salad.  Season with extra salt and pepper as desired Enjoy!!!