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*thank you, thank you, thank you for your kind words on yesterday’s post! I feel so much better that I was able to get my thoughts off my chest. You guys are seriously the best!
I am not one for banning foods in my home, but certain foods must be avoided at all costs. They are the ones for which I have ZERO self-control around, namely granola and popcorn.
I can now officially add a third to the list, candied pecans.
I’d like to believe it all evens out since I was eating them with a salad, but the pictures may be somewhat deceiving seeing as it was more like a bowl full of candied pecans with a small side salad. Now I kind of look at these pictures and cringe because I feel like I’m reliving that uncomfortable level of full feeling I had after eating the entire batch in a day. Not to self, only make enough for the salad next time…
And yes I am aware that pecans have been making a comeback on THM in a big way. That’s because on my recent trip to NYC I basically bought out the nut section at Trader Joe’s. Why is Trader Joe’s able to sell their nuts so cheap and no one else can?! Ima start growing some nuts! Can I grow nuts? Tree nuts? I’m so confused.
Speaking of confusing, I only recently discovered (i.e. in the past year) that figs can actually be bought fresh. Am I the only person who wasn’t aware of this? How I didn’t clue into the fact that figs could be eaten before they were dried out into “dried figs” is beyond me. I’ve never claimed to be the smartest person around here…I only claim to be a know-it-all. Turns out you don’t have to actually know everything to be a know-it-all. It’s just that no one will believe anything you say.
So, what have we covered today?
-I can’t keep candied pecans in the house
-I need to figure out how I can grow my own nuts
-Figs can be bought fresh
-I know everything
Have a very pleasant day, friends.Â
PrintBalsamic Chicken Salad w/ Figs, Portobellos and Candied Pecans
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
For the pecans*:
- 2 cups whole, raw pecans
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt
For the chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
For the salad:
- 4–5 cups baby spinach
- 3 fresh figs, sliced
- 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled
For the dressing:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
For the pecans:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Combine pecans coconut oil, coconut palm sugar and sea salt.
- Spread out on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes (watch closely to make sure they don’t burn).
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 mins.
For the chicken:
- Combine all ingredients and marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Lay chopped portobellos along the bottom of a baking pan.
- Place chicken on top of portobellos and pour remaining marinade over portobellos.
- Bake for 10 mins.
- Remove from oven, flip chicken and bake for another 10 mins.
- Slice chicken.
For the dressing:
- Combine all ingredients until well mixed.
For the salad:
- In a large bowl combine spinach, goat cheese, 1/2 cup of pecans, portobellos and sliced chicken.
- Top with dressing and serve immediately
Notes
*will only need 1/2 cup for recipe but will keep for up to one month
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
How do you grow nuts? Any recent food discoveries?
Yeah girl I go to Trader Joe’s JUST for those nuts because they are SO SO much cheaper than anywhere else. It makes literally ZERO sense. And I can’t keep shit like that in my house either… So….
YUMMY YUMMY and join the club of know it alls! 🙂
I LOLed at this post! Well done Ms. Know-it-all 😉
What!? Grow nuts! I want to do that too we should totally meet up and have a nut growing get together to put pots together (how does that work haha). I’m actually know a fan of sweet things in my salad but my mom is and mothers day is coming up so maybe I will make her this. I know she would love it!
What an awesome salad! It has lots of my favorite things too – candied pecans, Portobello mushrooms, goat cheese and fresh figs!
Umm…I think nuts are grown on trees? Maybe? Don’t quote me on that.
P.S. I still think that we need a group of bloggers to take a trip to Buffalo so we can hit up Trader Joe’s. I haven’t been to one in a year and a half, and that just makes me sad.
You are cracking me up today! I am so with you, candied pecans are seriously like crack. The first time I had them was on a salad my cousins made many years ago at a family holiday dinner and it was life changing. I only eat them at restaurants though because like you, I can’t trust myself with them in my home.
Please keep us posted on the home nut growing! In the meantime I will be at TJs I guess since I never shop there and therefore had no idea that they sold nuts cheaply in bulk. HLB fail!
Salads are that much better when candied nuts are involved which works for me as I am allergic to raw nuts. Once they are cooked and candied – I am safe. I can’t recall the name of the place but here in NY there was a roasted/candied nut kiosk that used to be in all of the malls that I now will rack my brain about trying to remember the name but my nose will never forget the smell. It was heavenly.
Oh Girl, you crack me up. I have no freaking idea where nuts are from. I think hazelnuts grow on trees. The rest is too high for me to understand OR to reach.
Candied Pecans come very close to Swiss Chocolate, aka crack. But only almost. Except if you would deliver them personally to my door. Pretty please??
I love pecans! But never had them candied!
Have you ever seen a cashew tree!? Those things are crazy https://parade.condenast.com/52654/linzlowe/where-the-heck-do-cashews-come-from/
…You only had this figgy realisation recently? Geeze. What kind of a maven are you?
Off topic, but you mentioning NYC and nuts reminded me of those honey roasted nuts sold on the streets. Soooo good. Can you open one up here in Australia? outside my house? Candied pecans are like crack. Let’s see how well C hides these.