SPINACH SALAD WITH CHICKEN, PISTACHIOS, TORTELLINI

SPINACH SALAD WITH CHICKEN, PISTACHIOS, TORTELLINI image

Yield 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 27

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Ingredients

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Pistachios, Tortellini and Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing
Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon grainy mustard
Salad Mixture:
1 1-pound bag fresh spinach
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pistachios
1/2 cup pitted sliced kalamata olives
2 red pears or apples, cored, seeded, cubed (do not peel)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
salt
white pepper
1 package tortellini, any variety
Chicken:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in cubes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons bacon fat
salt
black pepper

Steps:

Dressing: Mix the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, cumin, and grainy mustard in a cruet or covered bowl. Reserve. Salad Mixture: Trim the spinach leaves of the stems and rinse them of sand. Drain as much of the water off as possible. Cut or tear the spinach leaves into bite size pieces and put them in a large salad bowl. Toast the pistachios lightly in a small skillet, allow to cool slightly, and add them to the spinach. Slice the olives and make sure there are no pits. Add the olives to the salad mixture. Core and seed the pears or apples. Cut them into cubes. Sprinkle them with the juice and zest of 1 lemon and add them to the salad mixture. Crumble the feta cheese and add it to the salad mixture. Cook the bacon until crisp in a large skillet, drain, and crumble. Add the crumbled bacon to the salad. Add salt and pepper if desired. Mix well. Tortellini: Boil some water in a pot and cook the tortellini according to package directions. Reserve until ready to serve. Drain and add to salad with the cooked chicken (below). Chicken: Drain most of the bacon fat from the large skillet, leaving just a few tablespoons to saute the chicken. Cut the chicken breast in strips. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté the onion and the garlic in the bacon fat until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken and sauté until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Place the cooked chicken in a bowl and pour some of the dressing over it. Mix thoroughly. Just before serving, add some of the dressing over the salad and arrange the chicken strips over it. Serve. Assembly: Then cook the chicken and arrange it on top of the salad. Serve with crusty sourdough, Italian, or French bread.