Spinach and Fruit Summer Salad

10 oz bag of fresh spinach

1-2 chicken breasts, grilled and thinly sliced

1 pint of strawberries, sliced

1 pint of blueberries

4-5 kiwis, peeled and sliced

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 oz crumbled goat cheese** (or crumble some yourself) - substitute for another cheese if desired

 Dressing:

2/3 cup oil (I used canola……use what you like)

4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

6 Tbsp Strawberry Jam  (or any berry variety)

1 1/2 Tbsp poppyseeds

1/4 tsp salt

To make the dressing: Place your oil, balsamic vinegar, jam, poppyseeds, and salt into a bowl. Whisk together pretty vigorously or place them into a dressing mixer that you can shake up. Place in the fridge.

Next, it’s time to lightly glaze some chopped pecans.  Place the pecans and sugar in a pan over medium heat. Slowly let the sugar warm up, while continually stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan.  Eventually you’ll see the sugar being to melt. But then you’ll notice that the sugar will start clumping up and sticking to everything.  Don’t worry.  Keep stirring and watch as the sugar continues to melt and caramelize. Eventually, all of the clumps will melt and smooth out, and will nicely coat your pecans.  (Be careful not to burn the sugar…..just let it caramelize and brown just a bit.) Then remove from the heat and immediately spread on a sheet of tin foil.  After they’re cool, gently break them apart.  Set aside.

Wash your fruit and slice your strawberries and kiwis.

Cook your chicken out on the grill or in a pan on the stove.  Whatever works best for you.  (I slice 2 breast pieces in half, making them 4 thinner slices of chicken, to speed up the cook time.) Once your chicken is fully cooked, slice it nice and thin.

And then assemble your salad in a bowl and serve. Found online;)