Snazz Up a Salad With Sage & Snap Peas

Put a little more spring and some snap (peas) into your next salad with this tasty recipe! Tender basil leaves available on young spring plants add mild flavor and vivid color to the fabulous, nutrient-loaded vinaigrette.

Sage-Breaded Chicken, Spinach and Snap Pea Salad

Ingredients:

1 egg (lightly beaten)
¼ cup sour cream
¾ cup Italian-flavored bread crumbs
1½ tsp. ground sage
1 lb. chicken tenders
5 ounces baby spinach
2 cups snap peas (chopped)
2 cups strawberries (sliced)
2 avocadoes (thinly sliced)
¼ cup roasted unsalted almonds (chopped)
¼ cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves (snipped)

FOR THE WHITE BALSAMIC HERB VINAIGRETTE:

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
½ cup grated Parmesan
¼ tsp. salt

Directions:

1. In a blender, combine all vinaigrette ingredients until smooth. Makes ¾ cup.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and sour cream. Stir together bread crumbs and sage in another medium bowl. Add chicken to egg mixture. Stir to combine. Transfer chicken, a few pieces at a time, into bread crumbs. Roll, and press to coat all sides. Arrange chicken in a single layer in prepared pan, leaving space between each piece.
4. Bake for 12–15 minutes, turning after 5 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.
5. Meanwhile, divide spinach, snap peas, strawberries and avocado among four plates. Top with chicken, almonds and basil, and drizzle generously with vinaigrette.

PER SERVING: 777 cal, 50g fat (33g mono, 7g poly, 10g sat), 136mg chol, 717mg sodium, 39g carb (11g fiber, 10g sugars), 38g protein

SOURCE: The recipe and photo by Amy Palanjian is posted by permission of Delicious Living (and its parent company New Hope Network), a trusted voice in the natural living community for 30 years.