BY CHEF KATIE MIST

Grilled Chicken Paillard with Shaved Vegetable Salad and Basil Vinaigrette

Grilled Chicken Paillard with Shaved Vegetable Salad and Basil Vinaigrette, ah, sounds delicious. But wait, what the heck is a paillard, you ask? Paillard simply refers to any meat pounded to an even thickness -- think cutlets or schnitzel. In this Grilled Chicken Paillard recipe, we take a wee shortcut and simply slice the chicken breast in half, lengthwise, creating two thinner pieces. Work smarter, not harder. The chicken cooks quickly, making this a go-to for a weeknight, but elegant enough to serve to guests. But the Grilled Chicken Paillard isn't complete without the Shaved Vegetable salad with Basil Vinaigrette. This salad is full of hormone-balancing ingredients, plus magnesium , healthy fats and protein.

Cook Time: 10 mins | Prep time: 40 mins | Serves/Serving: Servings = 4

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, each cut lengthwise into two thinner pieces

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cups arugula

• 2 cups watercress

• 1 cup watermelon radish, shaved on a mandolin or very thinly sliced

• 1 cup fennel, shaved on a mandolin or very thinly sliced

• 3 tablespoons pine nuts

• ¼ cup olives, sliced into quarters lengthwise (We love Castelvetrano olives!)

• Basil Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

• 1 cup basil, packed

• 1 small shallot, roughly chopped

• 1⁄2 small clove of garlic

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

• 1⁄4 teaspoon pink Himalayan seal salt

• 10 grinds of black pepper

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.

2. Toast pine nuts in a dry pan over medium-low heat until fragrant and light golden, remove from heat.

3. Coat each piece of chicken with olive oil, then season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

4. When the grill is hot, place each paillard on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Set cooked chicken aside onto a plate.

5. While the chicken cooks, assemble the salad.

6. In a large bowl combine arugula, watercress, radish, fennel, pine nuts and olives.

7. Toss with basil vinaigrette.

8. To serve, place one paillard per plate and top with dressed salad.

9. PRO TIP: Spoon an extra dollop of vinaigrette over the chicken, if desired.

10. Combine all ingredients except for olive oil in a food processor.

11. Blend until herbs are chopped but still slightly chunky so there is some texture.

12. Add in olive oil and blend until combined.

13. Transfer to an airtight container and use right away or store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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