chicken and watercress salad

chicken and watercress salad. this is a fast, tasty meal that is light yet super satisfying. slice, pound, season and oil the chicken in advance and this meal will fly to the table in under 30 minutes. say hello to spring and make this for dinner tonight!! here's how; 

- ADAPTED from everyday food

you'll need:

¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for vinaigrette
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
salt and ground pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 bunches watercress, about 6 ounces, thick stems removed
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
cayenne, a pinch
honey, about 1 tablespoon

lay chicken flat. holding a sharp knife parallel to work surface, split each chicken breast in half horizontally. cover with plastic wrap and pound each piece with the flat side of a meat mallet until ¾ inch thick. sprinkle each side of chicken breast with salt, pepper and ground cumin. place in a shallow dish and bathe each side of breast with ¼ cup olive oil. cover & set aside to marinate. you can do this a day in advance or 30 minutes before grilling.

in a large salad bowl, make vinaigrette dressing using 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt and a dash of pepper, ground cayenne, ground cumin and honey to taste. (i used about 2 tablespoons!)

wash & spin dry watercress. slice radishes on a mandoline. set aside.

heat grill to medium-high.

scrape grill to clean. grill chicken until cooked through, 2 minutes on first side and 1-2 minutes on the second side. remove from grill to a plate and cover with foil or put in a warm 200℉ oven while you complete the salad.

peel and dice avocado.

add watercress, radish and avocado to bowl with dressing and toss to combine.

place chicken on plate and top with watercress salad.