Spring Salad with Balsamic Strawberries
By Apron & Ink
4 serves
10 mins
15 mins
Ingredients
- 4 Bare Bird chicken thigh fillets
- 3 medium leeks, washed, halved and sliced into large pieces
- 1 bunch dutch carrots
- 200g green beans
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 punnet strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- juice & zest from one lemon
- ½ bunch basil
- 2 tbsp vino cotto or any good balsamic vinegar
- cracked pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Place leeks and carrots on a large baking tray. Season with sea salt and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20-25 mins or until the vegetables are nice and browned.
- While the vegetables are cooking, marinade the chicken by placing 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, zest, sea salt and a bit of the basil, finely chopped, in a bowl. Whisk together and then add the chicken, coating everything well. Allow to marinade for 15 mins in the fridge.
- Toast the pine nuts by placing them in a dry pan over medium heat, tossing every now and again until they are start to brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Hull and halve the strawberries and place in a small bowl, cover with vino cotto or balsamic and allow to marinade until ready to use.
- To cook the chicken thigh fillets, place in a large pan and cook over medium high heat until browned and cook for 6 mins on each side or until cooked through.
- Cover chicken with foil and allow to rest for 5 mins.
- Meanwhile, toss the green beans in a hot pan with olive oil and sea salt for about 2 mins until warm but still crisp.
- To assemble, roughly slice the chicken thighs and arrange on a large serving platter with the vegetables, baby spinach, strawberries and basil.
- Sprinkle with the pine nuts and a bit of cracked pepper.
Serve immediately.