Chicken, Avocado and Mango Salad

~ nourishedpeach ~ 11 Comments

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Guys.  Its April 11th.  And it snowed today.  Again.  For what seems like the 432nd day this year.  I know, there’s not that many days in an entire year…but it seems like that’s how many days have been in our Minnesota winter alone.  ENOUGH!  While out shoveling today I decided I was going to boycott winter food at all costs this evening.  Hence, this salad.  Its light, fresh and full of so much flavor.  It will make you feel like your sitting on a beach, sipping a beautifully colored cocktail and hearing the crashing waves of the ocean.  Or not.  But its fun to dream…and it tastes pretty darn good 🙂

Although any cooked chicken will do for this recipe, below is my all time favorite way to prepare boneless chicken breasts indoors.  The pan roasting gives the chicken the most savory flavor imaginable.  Its my go-to method for so many recipes, and so simple!

Chicken, Avocado and Mango Salad

Ingredients:

For the Vinaigrette:

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice of One Orange

1 Clove Garlic, grated or pressed

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

For the Salad:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts + 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Mango, Diced

1 Avocado, Diced

1/2 Cup Walnut Halves

4 Cups Greens, Chopped  *I used leafy romaine this time

Directions:

For the Vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

For the Salad:

Preheat oven to 400 and season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  In an oven proof skillet heat olive oil on medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, top side down, until you get a nice sear on top, about 4 minutes.  Flip chicken over, transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Let the chicken rest for about ten minutes after taking it out of the oven so the meat can absorb all of the juices.

Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.  Combine greens, chicken, mango, avocado and walnuts.  Drizzle the salad with half of the dressing and toss to coat.  Serve the other half of the dressing on the side.

Berry Oat Bread

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It is a constant challenge for me to come up with healthful breakfasts and snacks for my toddler.  This bread is a great option for both and is packed with fiber and antioxidants. *please don’t yell at me if you are changing extra poopy diapers because of it…its a good thing, I promise 🙂 It does not contain refined sugar and is packed with gluten-free grains which we can all feel good about.  And trust me, its not just for wee ones…my husband and I love it just as much as our little. Its an awesome sweet treat…and its the perfect breakfast paired with a little greek yogurt on the side.  This bread is a double wammie…tastes great and leaves your house smelling amazing!

Berry Oat Bread

It is equally as tasty with raspberries or a combination of raspberries and blueberries.  Feel free to omit the coconut oil and use all butter or visa versa.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cup Oat Flour (Gluten free or regular) *see note below if you do not have oat flour

1/4 Cup Flaxseed Meal

1/4 Cup Almond Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

1/2 Cup Agave Nectar or Honey

1/4 Cup Coconut Oil, melted

2 Tablespoons Butter, melted

2 Eggs, beaten

3/4 Cup Frozen Blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.  If you do not have oat flour its very simple to create a flour from old fashioned oats.  Simply place the 1 1/4 cups of oats in the food processor and process until they become a flour-like texture.

Combine the oat flour, flaxseed meal, almond flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.  In a separate bowl combine the applesauce, agave or honey, coconut oil, butter and eggs.  Whisk the wet ingredients well and pour into the dry ingredients; stir until just combined.  Once combined stir in the blueberries.  Pour into your greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.