Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Salad

As part of the Whole Foods Market Stock a Healthier Pantry for $50 promotion, I am using their list of pantry staples (listed below) to create healthy, flavorful and affordable meals. Today I used the vacuum packed sun-dried tomatoes, without oil, to make a fabulous salad for my fiancé and I for lunch. Although I used a bottled Italian salad dressing (I happened to have one in the fridge that needed to be used up), I would normally have made my own marinade and dressing, probably using olive oil, rice wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and lots of garlic.

The original recipe was from All Recipes, for a bruchetta appetizer. Instead I served it as a salad, with grilled baguette on the side. Either way, this was quick and easy, and a totally satisfying lunch.

Whole Foods Market will be giving away healthy pantry staples for a year as well as several of their $50 Pantry Stock Ups. You can enter on the Whole Foods Blog until January 31^st. I am also giving away a $50 gift certificate to the Whole Foods Market in Durham on this blog. All you have to do is subscribe to my blog, leave a comment that you have done so and tell me what healthy pantry staple you can’t live without. Deadline to enter is January 31^st and the winner announced Feb 3rd. All comments from each blog post are eligible to win. Read the original blog entry here.

Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Salad

Marinated chicken, spinach, feta, and sun-dried tomatoes are tossed with dressing for a healthy light dinner any time of year!”

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 1/4 cups Italian salad dressing, divided

4 cups fresh spinach, torn

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

8 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, chopped

1/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans (this was my addition to the recipe, I love a salad with nuts)

Directions:

Place the chicken and 1 cup salad dressing in a bowl. Cover, and marinate at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Discard dressing used for marinating, and grill chicken 7 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Cool and shred.

In a large bowl, mix the cooked chicken, spinach, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts or pecans and remaining dressing.

Place desired amount of salad on a plate with grilled baguette on the side.

Eat and Enjoy!

Whole Foods Market $50 Pantry Staple List

• 1 lb black beans
• 1 lb lentils
• 1 lb quinoa
• 2 lbs brown rice
• 3 (32-oz) boxes vegetable broth
• 1 (32-oz) box chicken broth
• 1 lb rolled oats
• 2 cans cannellini beans
• 1 lb orechiette pasta
• 1 lb pasta, your favorite kind
• 1 can black beans
• 1 jar unsweetened applesauce
• 1 (32-oz) box unsweetened soymilk
• 1 (32-oz) box unsweetened almondmilk
• 1 (5-oz) can tuna
• 3 (15-oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 package no-oil sundried tomatoes
• 1 jar pasta sauce

Whole Foods Market priced these from their 365 Everyday Value® line and the list came in around $50

Disclaimer: Whole Foods Market provided me with the pantry staples.