Grilled Balsamic Chicken Cutlets Over Spinach Salad with Warm Shallot Vinaigrette

CHICKEN

• 1-1/2 pounds (8 pieces) chicken breast cutlets (sometimes marked "thin-cut")
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, enough to just coat the breast slices
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Steak seasoning blend such as Montreal Seasoning by McCormick OR salt and pepper to taste
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, stripped and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

SPINACH SALAD

• 1 pound center-cut bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound fresh spinach leaves, trimmed and cleaned
• 8 gourmet white stuffing mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 8 radishes, thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

DRESSING

• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (eyeball the amount)
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 3 rounded tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Coat chicken with vinegar, oil, seasonings, and rosemary and set aside.

2. In a skillet, add chopped bacon (work in two batches if preparing salad for four). Brown over medium-high heat, then transfer the bits to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. (Using center-cut bacon will cut down on the pan drippings that spatter.)

3. Coarsely chop spinach leaves and add to salad bowl. Top with mushrooms, radishes, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat another large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for the chicken.

5. For your dressing, wipe out the bacon pan and return to stove over medium-low heat. Add oil and shallots and saute for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

6. In a bowl, combine mustard and balsamic vinegar. Stream in shallot oil slowly while whisking the dressing to emulsify it. Pour warm dressing over spinach salad and toss to coat evenly. Add cooked bacon and toss again.

7. Cook chicken cutlets, 4 minutes on each side, in a single layer in the preheated nonstick skillet. Before serving, slice breasts on an angle. Then, pile spinach salad onto dinner plates and top each salad with 2 sliced cutlets.

Makes 4 servings