Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard

Make the dressing included with this recipe, it will beat out any store bought honey mustard dressing. I actually threw away my store bought bottle because it tasted so fake after making this one. And it's so simple, there's no excuse not to make it!  

Use fresh breadcrumbs if you can also. Anytime I have leftover rolls or bread that we aren't going to eat right away, I throw them in the food processor and store in the freezer (where you should store all breadcrumbs, fresh or store bought.) When ready to use, scoop out what you need,  spread on a cookie sheet, and put in the oven while it pre-heats. This will dry them out.

For the salad: 

mixed greens

goat cheese

salad veggies (cucs, carrots, red onions...)

craisins

For the chicken: 

1 boneless, skinless, chicken breast

1 cup coarse breadcrumbs

1 Tbs fresh parsley

zest of 1 lemon

3/4 cup pecans

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. cayenne

S&P

2 egg whites

juice of 1/2 lemon

olive oil for frying

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut chicken into strips. Put the breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon, pecans, spices, and S&P in the food processor. Pulse until everything is crumbly. Whisk egg whites and lemon juice in a shallow dish. Place breadcrumb mixture in another shallow dish. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture then the breadcrumb mixture. Press the breadcrumbs onto the chicken as much as you can. Save the rest of the breadcrumbs.

Heat some olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet. Add chicken to skillet and cook for a few minutes on each side, until breadcrumbs are browned. Put the skillet full of chicken in the oven and roast for about 8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. 

Remove the chicken from the pan. Return the pan to the stove top and add a little bit of olive oil. Toast the remaining breadcrumbs for several minutes.  

For the dressing: 

1/4 cup honey

3 Tbs Dijon mustard

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs minced shallot

1 Tbs cider vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

S&P to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small jar. Cover tightly and shake until combined. Season with S&P to taste. 

To Assemble

Serve the chicken over a bed of mixed greens. Crumble some goat cheese over salad and sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs. Drizzle dressing and enjoy!