It was just a few nights ago that I was craving a big Greek salad. Ok. That’s actually not the entire truth. It’s been for the last six and a half months of pregnancy that I’ve been craving an authentic Greek dinner…the problem is, it’s just not truly authentic if there’s no feta cheese! They say not to eat soft cheese like feta during pregnancy, so I’ve avoided it completely, but man it’s been hard!!!

So the other night, I just decided to go for it. My fridge was full of all the right ingredients and I substituted feta cheese with a quattro formaggio blend from Trader Joes. I picked some fresh basil from my garden and had heirloom tomatoes on the counter, chopped up a red onion and diced a cucumber. And I know it’s not even one bit Mediterranean, but I hard boiled a few eggs for some extra protein on the side.

Then I whipped up the easiest balsamic dressing ever. Simply whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, garlic, and some fresh rosemary. You can add a pinch of honey or sugar to cut the acidity if you want, but I like it without! Drizzle over the salad and scoop up a big bowl of it.

I can guarantee this will be something you’ll be making more than once. Pretty sure I’ll be having it again tonight…and tomorrow night, and maybe the night after that!!

 

Grilled Chicken Greek Salad | Serves 4

4-6 cups spring mix

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

3 medium tomatoes, diced

3/4 medium red onion, diced into small chunks

1 red bell pepper, diced

2/3 cup kalamata olives, sliced

1 avocado, diced

2/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

2/3 cup parmesan cheese OR feta

3-4 hard boiled eggs, cubed (optional)

6 chicken tenders, sauteed and chopped

On a platter, lay out the spring mix and evenly top with each vegetable. Top the salad with the fresh basil and parmesan cheese. For the chicken, I just sauteed the tenders in olive oil with a little salt and garlic over medium-high heat to brown the skin. You can totally grill them on a barbeque if you want!

 

For the dressing:

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 TBS dijon mustard

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried rosemary, or 3 TBS fresh chopped rosemary

salt + pepper to taste

a pinch of sugar, optional

Whisk together and drizzle over the top!