Grilled Dijon Chicken Salad with Parmesan Dressing

I was in the mood for a dinner salad last night and decided I wanted to create a dressing without a recipe. The first attempt went down the drain, but I think the second was a winner.

The first try I was going for more of a creamy dressing, and it wound up tasting too milky, and I didn't like the chalky consistancy of the grated pamesan. The second time around, I went for more of a vinaigrette style and used shredded parmesan instead. Blending it until smooth in my mini food processor resulted in a creamier vinaigrette. Since there was dijon in the dressing, I made a simple marinade for the chicken using it as well, which was a nice compliment.

We both enjoyed this a lot. I prefer not to have a large amount of chicken in my salad, so if you do, I would double the amount. And if you are not a huge garlic lover, you may wish to reduce the amount used in the dressing. As I was eating the garlic wasn't overwelming at all, but afterwards I was left with a strong garlic taste- but as I like garlic, I'd still make it the same.


Dijon Marinated Chicken
4 chicken tenders or 1 breast
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of half a lime
1/4 tsp garlic powder
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in a small ziplock bag. Add chicken and turn to coat. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
2. Discard marinade and grill or bake until chicken is no longer pink inside. Slice into strips.

Pamesan Dressing
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup shredded pamesan
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp lite mayo
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1. Add all ingredients to food processor or blender and pulse/blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. Shake well before sering.

For the salad, I used about half a head of romaine, a tomato, a stalk of celery, and a handful a baby carrots. If I'd had them, I would've also liked have to used cucumber and sweet bell pepper.