Grilled Nectarine & Chicken BLT Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing

Happy Sunday lovelies.

Ah, Sunday. I love this day of the week, don’t you?

I always feel extra grateful on Sundays, excited that I get just one more day to enjoy the weekend and rest up before another start to the week.

Not that I dread the work-week, I totally don’t, I just like that the weekends allow me time to step away from technology (somewhat), get outside, visit family, and sleep in.

This weekend we got out of town and went to the lake to visit my momma-in-law. She’s a beauty. (Love ya Carol!)

Yesterday, we went for a nice long walk along the lakeshore and gawked at all of the gorgeous houses that line the water, while I simultaneously looked up all of the real estate on my phone. Oddly, that is a total guilty pleasure of mine. I love to know how much houses for sale cost, what they look like inside, and if it’s flip material. In another life I’d probably follow in the footsteps of my Mom and be a Realtor. 

As we strolled along we all noticed the yellow leaves on the trees coming in… already! It’s amazing how quickly the Fall season rolls in, and as gorgeous as the leaves look when they turn all shades of yellow, orange, and red, it’s bittersweet. I just love Summer so much.

That’s what I had in mind when I created this Grilled Nectarine & Chicken BLT Salad recipe. I wanted to use the wonderfully seasonal fresh and juicy nectarines I had received in my last SPUD grocery order, and decided they would make the perfect addition to a salad that would serve as my farewell to Summer inspired recipes on the blog.

Have you ever grilled nectarine? It’s amaaaaazing. 

The open flame and the heat caramelize the natural sugars in the nectarine and create an unbelievable flavour. It’s still sweet, and still distinctly a nectarine, but it also gains a flavour that’s syrupy with a touch of smokiness. Perfection. 

Nectarines are little nutritional gems. They are full of vitamin C, antioxidants, and contain a nice amount of dietary fibre. The natural fruit sugars create a lovely sweet flavour making them another true representation of “nature’s candy”.

Along with the organic chicken breast, crispy romaine, soft and velvety avocado, juicy tomatoes, crunchy beef bacon, and sweet tangy balsamic tahini dressing, the nectarines shine as the star ingredient in this salad. I recommend making sure you get a little piece of the grilled nectarine for each bite of salad you take, as the nectarine makes each of the other ingredients taste that much better!

What seasonally appropriate foods will you be filling up on in the next couple of weeks as your official “farewell to Summer inspired recipes”? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below! 

4.5 from 2 reviews

Grilled Nectarine & Chicken BLT Salad with Tahini Balsamic Dressing

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 small palm-sized cooked organic chicken breasts, diced (bake or grill as preferred)
• 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 3 cocktail tomatoes, quartered
• 3 strips cooked organic grass-fed beef bacon (nitrate free, if possible), crumbled
• 2 nectarines, pitted and sliced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Dressing:
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon water
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Pre-cook the chicken and the bacon ahead of time and set aside.
2. Heat the grill and reduce to low.
3. Drizzle the sliced nectarine pieces with 1 tsp olive oil and place on the grill, not over direct flame for 3 minutes, then flip each piece and grill 2 more minutes. (each piece should be warmed and slightly soft with grill lines, but not overcooked so they are falling apart, keep a close eye on them as they are grilling!)
4. While the nectarine is grilling prepare the salad.
5. Add the romaine to a large bowl, top with the diced avocado, sliced tomato, chopped chicken, crumbled bacon, and once grilled, the nectarine pieces.
6. Whisk the dressing ingredients vigorously in a small bowl and drizzle over the salad.
7. Divide the salad between two bowls/plates and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Serving size: ½ recipe Calories: 434 kcal Fat: 18g Carbohydrates: 37g Fiber: 9g Protein: 35g

3.5.3208

Have a beautiful Sunday!

Christal

Nutritionist in the Kitch