Cheryl Blossom's Cherry Chicken Salad

So, I know I made hefty promises ... specifically, my Halloween dinner party menu, and a special recipe in honor of Bram Stoker's birthday. And I really was going to deliver, but it wasn't in the cards this year. First, I was struck by Covid, and then was in a car accident on November 8th, ruining my birthday recipe plans. Still, happy 177th Brammy <3

In the meantime, I'm powering ahead with a garden salad inspired by my favorite television character... Cheryl Blossom from the CW's Riverdale. I am the strongest defender of this series, mostly because of how much I adore Cheryl's styling, the oddly sweet but gruesome plot line of Cheryl (spoilers) digging up her twin brother's corpse and wheeling him around her mansion, and the overall absurdity of choosing the trademark redhead for the gothic influence and all red styling.

I was playing around with a goat cheese and chicken, which I've been loving (and which will show up again, doubtlessly) and decided to capitalize on my happy accident of purchasing dried cherries rather than dried cranberries. So without further ado, here's a salad I think Cheryl Blossom would love to eat in her own Gothic Garden. It is a strange salad, in that it's very lightly dressed. I really wanted to keep the flavor of the goat cheese without compromising the texture by trying to dilute it in a dressing. I found that the lightness of the salad really offsets the richness of the chicken. The cherry and walnuts just work - don't think too much about it. I would pair this with a Sauvignon Blanc, even though Cheryl is undoubtedly a red girl, or (and hear me out, yet again) a cherry coke.

PS - Before you get to the recipe, I want to truly apologize for my food photography. I now have a much better lighting setup and promise not to subject you to messy spinach and subpar chicken slices again.

---

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Olive oil

• Red wine vinegar

• 2.5 oz of plain goat cheese

• 2 tbsp Hot Honey (or make your own with cayenne and honey)

• 2 tbsp Herbs (either fresh, or a blend - I used Trader Joes Green Goddess)

• 1 cup of microgreens, loosely packed

• 3 cups of spinach

• 1/4 cup dried cherries

• 1/4 cup walnuts

Preparation

1. Start by placing both chicken breasts in a large pan and cook on medium heat. Season to taste and flip (and season again) when chicken easily slides from the pan, about 6 minutes. Continue until chicken is cooked through, about 5 more minutes.

2. Remove from heat. Remove chicken from pan and rest on a plate.

3. While chicken rests, warm goat cheese until it is easy to stir. It should remain thick. Set aside.

4. Add spinach and microgreens to a large salad bowl. Add about one tablespoon of olive oil and massage greens until they are softer and a darker color. Lightly salt spinach, and add dried cherries and walnut (roughly chopped).

5. Cover chicken in a generous layer of goat cheese. Cut chicken into slices and place on salad.

6. Drizzle with hot honey.