Roasted Greek Chicken and Brown Rice Salad

This is the time of the year that I tend to gravitate towards salads for dinner.  I am ready to wave goodbye to the cold weather comfort meals and say hello to large salads and fresh, in-season vegetables and fruits.  I love me some salads, but I require big, hearty salads that are full of bright vegetables and a good dressing.  Especially since my husband works roughly 14 hour days doing physical labor all day, salads for dinner need to be full of filling items.  Such as meat, sometimes grains and plenty of vegetables.  And, generally with a side of homemade bread.  Because what’s salad without a killer side like bread or chips?  So, when I came across this recipe, I knew this would make a great dinner that would check all the needed items of the list, and make everyone happy at the same time.  Winning!

This salad is particularly satisfying with the many textures and flavors.  Roasted chicken, potatoes (because who doesn’t love roasted potatoes?!), roasted bell peppers, brown rice, cucs, butter lettuce (the best!) and my favorite salad addition- feta cheese!  All that deliciousness is topped with a super simple and fast red wine vinaigrette.  Dinner, here I come!  You can easily double the recipe to have a quick lunch available for yourself all week.  I would just suggest assembling the veggies and chicken beforehand, but adding the dressing right before eating.  

Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest

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Roasted Greek Chicken and Brown Rice Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

This filling salad is packed full of hearty vegetables and chicken. Drizzle with a red wine vinaigrette and serve with a large hunk of bread on the side.

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Ingredients

For the salad

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 pound russet potatoes, cut into wedges
• 1-2 red bell peppers, sliced
• 2 heads butter lettuce, roughly chopped
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces feta, cubed

For the red wine vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• kosher salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
2. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer on one side of the pan.  Drizzle, the 1 tablespoon olive oil, and balsamic vinegar over the chicken.  Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the dill, oregano, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper.  Place the potatoes and bell peppers on the other side of the pan.Add the potatoes, and bell peppers, and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of both salt and pepper.  Roast for 40-45 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking until the chicken is cooked through and the are potatoes golden. Let the chicken cool slightly and then shred or slice into chunks.
3. To make the vinaigrette, whisk or shake all the ingredients in a mason jar or glass measuring cup. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Meanwhile, distribute the lettuce, brown rice, and cucumbers evenly among serving bowls.  Top with shredded chicken, potatoes, bell peppers, and cubes of feta cheese.  Drizzle dressing over the salads and serve immediately.

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