Mom’s Basil Chicken Spinach Salad

Your Mom is a very special person. If she’s like mine, she’s sacrificed a lot of personal time and energy to give you the best she could offer you. If you’re strapped for cash but still want to show her how much you love and appreciate her, consider making her a healthy meal!

Hey, come on. She fed you for years, she might even still! It’s Mom’s turn for someone to nurture her with a wholesome, home-cooked meal. Here’s a highly nutritious, cleansing, protein-laden salad recipe for Mom that will show her you want her around for a long time.

Bake the chicken the night before or choose to top the salad with warm, sliced chicken strips that night. Vegetarian Moms might enjoy chick peas tossed in or grilled tofu steaks on top.

Feel free to alter the recipe using what you already have in the kitchen or special foods you know your Mom loves.

Mom’s Basil Chicken Spinach Salad

Serves: 4

Time: approximately 1 hr. (depending on how fast you are washing & chopping)

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless organic chicken breasts

2 big handfuls of spinach, washed & chopped

2 big handfuls of kale, washed, de-stemmed & chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 avocado, sliced

1/2 cup old cheddar, shredded

1/2 cup carrots, shredded

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup English cucumber, chunked

1/2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

5 tbsp garlic oil or olive oil

1 & 1/2 tbsp basil

1 & 1/2 tbsp oregano

dash salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare and bake chicken. (see below)


2. Make dressing. (see below)


3. Start washing and prepping veggies & greens.


4. Take chicken out & let stand for 10 minutes.


5. Toss salad ingredients together.


6. Top with warm protein (if protein is cold, toss with dry salad).


7. Dress with balsamic vinegar dressing.

Basil Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees celcius.


2. Rinse and pat dry chicken breasts. Place breasts next to each other on strip of tin foil.


3. Brush with oil (garlic or plain olive).


4. Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp of basil on each breast.


5. Salt and pepper.


6. Place another strip of tin foil approximately the same size over breasts. Fold over all four sides to create a tin foil hot pocket.


7. Bake for about 30 minutes, depending on how thick the breasts are. Cook until middle is white but meat is still juicy.

Steph’s Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

1. In a jar or dressing bottle, mix together: 2 tbsp garlic oli (or plain olive oil), 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp basil, 1/2 tbsp oregano and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.

Spinach & Kale Salad

1. Toss together in a large bowl the remaining ingredients: spinach, kale, avocado, cheese, carrot, red onion, cucumber and parsley.

Of course, making the meal isn’t the best part for Mom. It’s you sitting to enjoy it with her. If you can grab a couple more people, all the better!

If you create your own version of this Mom’s Day spinach salad, please come back to Live Lighter and share it with us.

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