Grilled Chicken Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette

Spinach really ups the iron in this salad. Serve with warm, crusty bread on the side to make it a complete meal.

Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients:

For the roasted garlic vinaigrette

2 heads roasted garlic 

juice of 2 lemons 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup olive oil 

salt and pepper to taste 

For the salad

2 chicken breasts, patted dry 

1 romaine heart, chopped 

1 cup chopped spinach leaves 

3 tomatoes, seeded and diced 

6 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned 

1/4 cup black olives, sliced into thin rounds 

1/2 cup macaroni, cooked according to package directions, drained, tossed in 1 tablespoon olive oil 

Parmesan shavings

Procedure:

1  Make the vinaigrette: Squeeze garlic into a large bowl. Whisk lemon juice, mustard, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, and sugar into the garlic purée. Drizzle olive oil slowly into the bowl, whisking continuously. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. 

2  Make the salad: Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then grill  on a nonstick pan over medium heat until juices run clear. Set aside to cool, then cut into cubes. Combine lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, macaroni, and chicken in a large serving bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup dressing, adding more if you prefer. Shave some fresh Parmesan over the salad. Serve immediately, with more dressing on the side.