Chicken with Fig Marinade and Fruit & Fig Salad

Lately there has been a majority of fattening meals being put on this blog, so in an attempt to get healthy for the upcoming bikini season (frightening, I know) I decided to make a chicken dish with salad.  The tricky part is making salads that are interesting enough that you don't get bored with them! The traditional lettuce, tomato, cucumber salad with store bought dressing makes me so depressed, so I've been challenged in trying to come up with creative and good-tasting salads.  Tonight though, I think I might have found a winner. Its ingredients may seem like they don't go together, but the end result was refreshing!  Here is what you will need:



Chicken with Fig Marinade:
4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce
1/4 cup italian dressing
salt and pepper to season

Fruit & Fig Salad:
chopped romaine lettuce
chopped belgian endive
5 chopped strawberries
1/2 cup raspberries
5 chopped dried figs
1/3 cup cashews
crumbled goat cheese

salad dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 chopped shallot
salt and pepper

Start by marinating your chicken breasts. The longer they sit in the marinade, the more flavor they will get.  I was running late on time and only let them sit for 2 hours in the fridge, but they tasted great.  However, if you are planning ahead, try to do this the night before so that the chicken can marinate for 24 hrs.  Place chicken breasts in a large plastic container.  Add olive oil, champagne vinegar, vidalia onion fig sauce, italian dressing, and salt and pepper; mix so that the marinade covers all chicken breasts entirely.  I like to close the container and shake it up until the mixture has covered the chicken.  Place in fridge to marinate.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, spray a baking dish or pan with PAM so that the chicken does not stick.  Place chicken breasts equally apart in baking dish. Place in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until chicken is at 165 degrees internal temperature.

To make the salad, wash and chop up equal amounts of Romaine Lettuce and Belgian Endive. Put in salad bowl.  Add chopped strawberries, raspberries, chopped dried figs, cashews, and crumbled goat cheese.  To make the salad dressing, put olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and chopped shallot in a small bowl.  Whisk ingredients together.  Add water, salt and pepper to taste.  Add dressing to salad and mix.

This dinner was very tasty, light, refreshing, and healthy! It was quite filling (even though it's just chicken and salad), and the leftovers made a great lunch for the next day at work.  Who said healthy and light can't be delicious?