Balsamic Chicken Berry Salad

 For the last couple of years, Shonna has often made Mason jar salads for the week- six or seven each week.  Pre-COVID, she was part of a group that would each make enough salads of one kind for everyone else in the group, then meet on Fridays and exchange them, everyone going home with seven different jar salads to eat for their lunches.  She is very creative, often creating her own recipes.  She enjoyed the others' creativity and variety as well.  

Shonna enjoyed those salads so much, that she has continued making seven jar salads many weeks during COVID, just for herself (and she always takes one to her widowed friend and one to a new mother.)  She then has a salad to eat each day for lunch.  I will be publishing some of her recipes on here.  She has her sisters doing this, too, so some of the pictures come from her and some from them.  

Balsamic Chicken Berry Salad

Chicken:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

3 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. EVOO

2 cloves garlic, minced or mashed

1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 tsp. oregano

Dressing:

3 T. balsamic vinegar

3 T. EVOO

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 T raspberry jam

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad: 

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

3/4 cup quartered strawberries

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup goat cheese or feta cheese

1 avocado, diced

1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

2-4 cups greens: arugula and baby spinach are good

Put the chicken with the marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag.  Marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Cook the quinoa by putting 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in quinoa.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for exactly 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for another 5-10 minutes.  Fluff with fork.  Quinoa will pop upon cooking and expand.  

While the quinoa is cooking, chop the salad ingredients.  

Put dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Preheat a grill and cook the chicken on medium-high heat.  Grill for 6-8 minutes on each side.  Juices should run clear.  Transfer to cutting board and dice the chicken.

Make the jar salads by dividing ingredients between four quart jars. Layer, starting with dressing, strawberries, cooked quinoa, blueberries, chicken, cheese, avocado, arugula, almonds.

Store in fridge.  When ready to eat, pour onto a plate or into a bowl.

Make 4 jar salads.

Michelle made the salad and served it with tilapia for her family for dinner.  They all loved it.

Such a beautiful, healthy salad!