This week has been crazy busy! My dad took the week off to so fun stuff with me and the boys. So far we’ve been to the beach twice (followed by ice cream) and the popcorn park zoo… tomorrow we are heading back to the beach! So needless to say its not been the best week of clean eating by any means! Last night I needed something light and with little cooking… salad it was!!!

I had a couple chicken breasts that I marinated in a strawberry balsamic vinegar then grilled up. Along with that, some sweet fruit, crisp cucumber and chopped romaine lettuce. To add another element of texture I finished off the salad with some toasted almonds. Simply dressed with salt, pepper and a little drizzle of reduced balsamic. This is a wonderfully light and refreshing meal! 

Grilled Chicken & Fruit Chopped Salad
serves 2

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup strawberry balsamic (plain balsamic is ok too!)
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
6-8 strawberries, sliced
2 slices watermelon, diced
1 1/2-2 romaine hearts, chopper
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Place the chicken breasts into a dish and coat with the balsamic vinegar. Let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Grill the chicken until cooked through, allow to rest before dicing it up.

For the almonds… place almonds into a small pan over low heat and get them to a nice golden brown. Be cure to keep an eye on the almonds because they go from beautifully golden to burnt quickly!

Assemble your salad with the romaine as the base. Top with the warm grilled chicken, cucumber, strawberries and watermelon. Finish off with the toasted almonds.

For the dressing… I love balsamic but reduced balsamic is even better. Place 1/2 a cup of plain balsamic into a small pot over low heat. Allow to simmer until thickened and reduced. Drizzle over the salad and season lightly with salt and pepper.

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Now for that bonus “recipe”! This is so simple to make, is delicious and satisfies the sweet tooth without tons of calories!! I originally saw the idea on Pinterest, oh how I love Pinterest!!!

 Sautéed Bananas with Honey & Toasted Almonds
serves 1 {though I split mine with hubby}

1 large banana, sliced
1 tsp water
1 tsp honey
a sprinkle of cinnamon
some toasted almond slivers
a bit of light whipped cream

In a pan, over medium heat, spray with a little cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place the bananas in and cook a few minutes per side until a nice light golden brown.

Place the banana onto a plate. With the heat off, add the water and honey to the pan then pour over top the bananas. Sprinkle with cinnamon and finish off with a little bit of whipped cream.

HAPPY EATS!!!!!!