58: Pesto Chicken Salad with Boiled Red Potatoes / Brussels Sprouts / Balsamic Vinegar

Lunch time! I often make salads for lunch, and here is a salad I made awhile ago. The weather must've been cooler, for this is a hearty salad. I had forgotten about it until I was cleaning up my blog pictures folder on my computer earlier today. I most likely made this post-workout one day.  At any rate, the pesto, boiled potatoes, brussels sprouts, and spinach round out this semi-rustic and earthy salad. You really could eat it any time of the year. Add some shredded parmesan to the top if you like.

Ingredients and Directions:

1/3 pound of chicken, diced

1/4 cup pesto sauce

2 red potatoes

4 brussels sprouts, sliced in half

Good handful of baby spinach
Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Boil potatoes whole in well salted water for about 15 minutes, drain. Let stand whole until ready to plate salad, which will help them keep cooking inside. Slice potatoes into quarters when you’re ready to plate.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add brussels sprouts and chicken with seasonings and cook for about 8 minutes, brussels sprouts cut side down in pan. Arrange brussels sprouts around chicken, which should be in the center of your pan.

Add raw spinach to a bowl – I start with raw greens because the heat of the cooked items will help naturally wilt the spinach after a couple minutes.

Now you’re ready to plate as everything comes to a finish. Two minutes prior to being done, arrange potatoes and sprouts (leaving chicken in pan) around the edge of the bowl, and add 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add pesto sauce to chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes to nicely coat the chicken. Add chicken to center of salad, and toss the salad to infuse all the flavors.

Enjoy!