Chicken and Strawberry Salad with Toasted Pecans

Strawberry Vinaigrette

• 1 pt fresh strawberries, washed and trimmed
• ½ c raspberry vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• Pinch of kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper, to taste
• ¼ c grapeseed oil or vegetable oil

Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil or vegetable oil

Salad

• 8 c baby romaine or butter lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
• 1 c halved or quartered strawberries
• ¾ c roasted pecan halves
• 4 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the vinaigrette: Purée the berries, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a blender. With the blender running, drizzle in the oil.

For the chicken: Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Warm the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the foam subsides, add the chicken to the skillet and cook undisturbed until golden brown on the bottom, 6-7 minutes. When ready to turn, the chicken will release easily from the pan with no tugging. Flip and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 6-7 minutes longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should register 165°F. and the juices should show no traces of pink. Transfer the chicken to a plate to rest while preparing the salad, at least 5 minutes.

For the salad: Divide the greens on a platter or among serving plates. Drizzle with some of the vinaigrette.

Cut the chicken into thick slices and arrange over the greens.

Scatter the strawberries, pecans and cheese over the top. Season with pepper. Serve with the remaining vinaigrette on the side.