Oh so yummy salad!

I got this recipe from Mel's kitchen cafe. She literally changed the way I look at cooking. More than half the recipes that make regular appearances at my dinner table came from her blog. If you haven't visited her site you should!

I love that my hubby is game for whatever I make for dinner, including salad. Salad was not something we had as a main course very often when I was growing up. Mostly because my dad is such a meat & potatoes kind of guy. Jared, however just said thanks for dinner and then proceeded to polish off two helpings. I can't tell you how much pleasure I get out of watching my family consume mass amounts of vegetables! This salad is definitely one I'll be making again. It was sweet and crunch and creamy and salty and it all blended together to perfection!

Sweet Chicken Salad

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3-4 medium)
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup water
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (about 8-10 cups)
8 ounces sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped or sliced thin
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup spiced pecans, store-bought or following the simple recipe below

*It also called for homemade cranberry vinaigrette, but that was more work than I was willing to put in so I just bought some low cal raspberry vinaigrette and it tasted fantastic!

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is shimmering and hot. Add the chicken and cook until it is nicely browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip the chicken over, add the water, and cover the skillet. Cook the chicken, letting it poach, until it is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it cool slightly before carving.

Toss the lettuce, cheese, apple, pecans, onion and dried cranberries together. Divide the salad among the serving plates. Slice the chicken on a diagonal and arrange over the salad. Serve with the vinaigrette. I prefer to let everyone douse their own salad with dressing, but you could toss the salad with 1/2 cup or so of the vinaigrette before assembling it on the plates and serve the extra dressing on the side.

Quick Spiced Pecans:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups pecan halves
1 tablespoon sugar

Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the spices and then the pecans. Toast the nuts, stirring often, until the color deepens slightly and they are lightly toasted, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and toss with the sugar. Let them cool completely before tossing with the salad.  *watch these carefully as they're toasting, I got distracted and they burned.