This recipe was inspired by my first official job at Swiss Chalet (a restaurant in Canada). I was a hostess at lunch/dinner time, but sometimes in the morning I also did prep work for things like salads and side dishes. Their 'Garden Salad' uses similar vegetables but I added in a few more of my favourites, plus some sunflower seeds for a little more texture and crunch (I also took out that one tomato wedge, because no one ever ate that anyways). My dressing of choice is honey mustard...because everything is better dipped in honey mustard. This dressing is homemade and vegan, so you can easily make this whole salad vegan if you just don't add the chicken (maybe some baked tofu or tempeh instead?). Also, this method of baking the chicken makes it really tasty and juicy, but if you're pressed for time you could just simply fry or grill it. This is my dream salad because it has all of my favourite components mixed in with a little nostalgia. Also, it's packed with vitamins and healthy fats! Feel free to swap out any ingredients for ones that you prefer to make your greatest salad too (but also try mine because I think these items work well together!). 

serves 2 people. Prep time: 20 min Cook Time: 40 min Total Time: 1 hour 

Ingredients

• 2 celery stocks, chopped

• 1 carrot, grated

• 1/2 can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed

• 1/4 of a small red cabbage, chopped thinly

• 1 avocado, sliced thinly

• 1/2 red onion, chopped

• lettuce (I used romaine, but you can use anything you like) 

• handful of sunflower seeds 

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or firm tofu for vegans)

• 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (or grapeseed oil or avocado oil)

• 1/2 lemon, squeezed into juice

• 2 tsp of smoked paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• salt

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

Method

For the chicken:

1.  First make the marinade. In a bowl, add 2 tsp of smoked paprika, 1 tsp of garlic powder, a pinch of salt, lemon juice (1/2 lemon squeezed), and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Mix it together well. Smoked paprika gives food such a deeper, more rich taste. It's my secret ingredient to many recipes, because it makes people think the recipe is complicated when it's not. I love to add it to many things, especially my avocado/egg toast. 

2. Put the raw chicken breasts into a resealable container, pour the marinade over it, cover, and refrigerate it for at least 20 minutes or more (you can do this in the morning before you go to school or work and it will be ready to go when you get home in the evening). 

3. In the meantime, chop up all of your veggies.

4. Preheat the oven to 180° C or 350° F.

5. Place your chicken on a non-stick pan and bake on the centre rack for 30 minutes. 

For the dressing:

6. in a bowl add 2 tbsp of maple syrup, 2 tbsp of rice vinegar (or white wine), 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp of dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt. Whisk it together until it's smooth, then set it aside. 

7. When the chicken is done, take it out and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before slicing it (the is the key part to making the chicken juicy) 

8. Place your lettuce & veggies on the place. Add the chopped chicken and salad dressing (1/2 of the bowl on each salad). Finally, sprinkle on some sunflower seeds and serve. 

Enjoy your healthy, nutritious, fresh, colourful and delicious meal! Your body deserves this! 

-T