Grape-Chia Chicken Field of Greens Salad Recipe

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Momma Told Me: If you eat too much of that- you're gonna turn into it!

When I was about 4 or 5 years old my father's parents, who were big into holistic living in the form of acupuncture and herbal supplements, began carrying a large shaker of flaxseed to every meal. Because they lived on the opposite side of the country, and I only saw them fora  few days twice a year, it didn't seem out of place at first. Then, a few years later, the practice my father has laughed off as 'yet another holistic fad' not only had stuck around, but intensified. My grandparents sprinkled flaxseed on everything from their morning toast to an afternoon blended coffee beverage. As you can imagine, at the time, the young girl I was I fancied it a miracle seed, the way they regarded it's presence with such importance.

Of course, now 30 years young myself I know there is no such thing as a magical food, or even magical ingredient. That true smart eating comes from a deliberate, and somewhat complicated balance of dietary composition that changes day to day with our busy lifestyles. This being said, there has been quite a lot of talk over the past couple of years about a group of 'Superfoods' which offer magnified nutritional benefits when incorporated into a well balanced daily diet. As someone who is 1.) notorious for eating like a bird and 2.) has cut most meat out of her diet unintentionally (I just tend to eat chicken or tofu or veggies these days) Chia has been a big part of my own personal Superfood movement.

So you're probably thinking why would I want to put something that traditionally sprouts out of a ceramic head (anyone else remember Chia Pets?) in my food? A serving of Chia seeds may provide up to 20% of your daily dietary protein, while being packed with Omega 3 Fatty acid ALA (but not DHA) and also offer a unique texture twist to just about anything you might sprinkle them on, or put them in. I haven't quite reached the 'carrying a shaker full of Chia Seeds' stage, like my grandparents, but I have been using this ingredient in pretty much anything I can think of- mainly smoothies and atop salads as of lately.

Recently Welch's released their new Chia spreads range of NON-GMO, real sugar, spreads free of preservatives and high-fructose corn syrup. They're jars full of the real Welch's fruit flavor your love, and packed with over 700 chia seeds in every serving. You'll currently find them in the jelly and jam aisle of your favorite major grocery retailers. I found both the Strawberry and Concord Grape varieties at my local Southern California Ralph's. In fact, if you're lucky, for a limited time, you'll find a coupon on select bottles of Welch's Chia Concord Grape Spread at a store near you. It's the perfect reason to pick up a jar and try today's featured recipe!

I'm pretty used to using Chia as an ingredient in my day-to-day recipes- but most curious about this Superfood might not know where to begin. Welch's new Chia spreads offer a great way to experience the texture of Chia in a delicious natural fruit spread. I found that Welch’s Chia Concord Grape Fruit Spread is really versatile and easy to work with, thanks to the generous helping of real Chia seeds, which makes it bind beautifully as a baste for some freshly grilled chicken. In fact, I sear off 2 grilled chicken breasts, and baste each side in a thick layer of Welch’s Chia Concord Grape Fruit Spread, then send them directly to the oven on a cast iron skillet to finish reaching temperature.

While my chicken finishes cooking I use a few tablespoons of Welch’s Chia Concord Grape Fruit Spread to whip up a light vinaigrette with fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and Omega 3-DHA Canola Oil. The result is a fragrant fruit vinaigrette that tosses into a bowl of fresh greens for the perfect sweet-citrus flavor to bring this delicious salad to life.

When your chicken emerges from the oven it'll have a gorgeous cranberry color glaze that reminds me of Thanksgiving turkey. Don't be fooled, there's only a touch of sweetness from Welch’s Chia Concord Grape Fruit Spread's real sugar. In fact, most of the sugars in the spread bake off during the 2nd stage of cooking (in the oven) and this grilled chicken has a wonderful flavor that is light and addictive all at once. 2 large breasts, thinly sliced will provide us with 2-3 generously portioned meals for 2. And that's perfectly fine with me, because I wouldn't mind eating this salad every day of the week.

As amazing as the flavors are when combining the Grape-Chia grilled chicken and the Vinaigrette, there are a few other star ingredients I suggest to make a flawless salad. While it might seem logical to put actual grapes in your salad, don't. For an extra layer of texture and natural sweet-tart that will go far to bring out the delicious Welch’s flavor, thinly slice some sticks of Granny Smith Apple and allow them to soak in fresh lemon juice while preparing your ingredients. A slivered red onion will also help to balance the acidity of the plate, while crumbled goat's cheese will bring in a bitter creamy element that I especially love when chia seeds are present. To top it off- candied pecans make this one irresistible salad, great for any season.

Be sure to toss your greens in the prepared Grape-Chia Vinaigrette prior to building your plate- a little goes a long way and you really want that powerful vinaigrette flavor to interact with all of your ingredients! Nervous about how the chia seeds might impact your textural culinary experience? Don't be! You'll hardly notice they're there among all the other texture profiles in this dish!

As someone who reaches for Chia to incorporate into her meals on a day-to-day basis, Welch’s Chia Concord Grape Fruit Spread is a great way to take the mess out of a thousand tiny seeds and still enjoy the goodness that Chia has to offer. With 700+ seeds per serving, it likely is more than I'd organically put on or into my food in the first place, and it really offers a delicious flavor boost of natural grape that works wonders with smoothies, breakfast bowls, and even grilled chicken! Now, tell me, have you ever tried Chia seeds in a recipe? What might you do with Welch's new Chia spreads?

What Daughter Says: Balance is the biggest key to smart eating. There's no such thing as a magic ingredient, but smart ingredients can help make decisions easier.

Grape-Chia Grilled Chicken Field of Greens Salad

***Click here for Grape-Chia Vinaigrette And Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 C Welch’s Chia Concord Grape Fruit Spread, Divided

3 TBS Balsamic Vinegar

 1/2 C Omega-3 DHA Canola Oil (OR EVOO if Preferred) + 2 TBS

1 TBS Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

2 Large, Trimmed, Chicken Breasts

2 C (about 10oz) Fresh Greens (Radicchio, Baby Spinach, Arugula, etc)

1/2 Red Onion, Thinly Sliced

1 Granny Smith Apple. Thinly Sliced and Cut Into Slivers, Soaking in Fresh Lemon Juice

1/4 C Candied/Glazed Pecans

1/3 C Crumbled Goat's Cheese

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 400F

1. Heat 2 TBS canola oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When oil begins to crackle add chicken breasts. Allow to sear on one side for 2 MINS, then flip. Baste seared side generously in Welch’s Chia Concord Grape Fruit Spread. (Make sure your basting spread is in it's own portioned container as to not cross-contaminate.) Allow non-basted side to sear for 2 MINS, then flip and baste.  Repeat, basting and searing each side 1 more time, each, then place skillet directly in pre-heated oven and allow to bake for 10-15 mins, or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Flip at least once, halfway through cooking. Remove from oven and place cooked breasts on a cutting board to rest while preparing the remainder of salad.

2. Combine Welch’s Chia Concord Grape Fruit, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Whisk in remainder of canola oil (approximately 1/3 C) until mixture begins to come together and thicken. Drizzle half over salad greens, thoroughly tossing to coat lettuce.

3. Layer greens, red onion, and apple sticks. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese and candied pecans. Top with thinly sliced chicken breast, and drizzle remaining vinaigrette as desired. Enjoy!