Chicken, Quinoa & Kale Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

One of the many perks about being a homemaker is getting to be in charge of the menu each week. (Of course it certainly helps that all three of the boys in my house will eat pretty much anything placed in front of them.)

Since I'm in the mood for some light and healthy dinners after a bit of holiday overindulgence, we will be eating a lot of salad for dinner around here.

In order to keep it exciting, I have been trying to come up with a vastly different version of salad each night. That means switching up the protein, grains, greens, toppings, and dressings as much as possible. So far no complaints!

Last night's salad was, by far, my favorite and probably the most nutritious too. The Balsamic Vinaigrette was the icing on the cake and since it's homemade you can easily adjust it to your personal preference of sweetness or tanginess. (Not surprisingly, my boys prefer it on the sweeter side.)

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{Chicken, Quinoa & Kale Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette}

for the salad:
2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
16 oz. Baby Kale, chopped
1 Small Head of Romaine, rinsed & chopped
1 1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 c. quinoa, prepared & cooled
1 c. pecans, toasted & cooled
3 oz. feta

for the dressing:
3 T. honey
1 T. dijon mustard, preferably whole grain
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
3/4 c. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine dressing ingredients in a medium jar. Attach lid and shake well. Set aside. In a large bowl combine lettuce and kale. Top with quinoa, pecans, feta, and cranberries. Dress, toss & serve.



{enjoy!}