The bell is about to sound that school’s out for summer! Here that means six glorious weeks with the tiny and little ones having adventures, relaxing and enjoying time together. I. Can’t. Wait. There’s something about summer that makes my heart sing – the time with my family, pyjamas days, the sun on my cheeks, the sand between my toes and salads. Oh so many yummy salads! Today’s recipe is one of my favourites that has the perfect stay at home lunch combination of being full of delicious flavour and being quick and easy to prepare.

I’ve called this a chicken & cranberry salad but really there’s lots more in it – they’re just the bits I love the most, besides the avocado which I could eat by the spoonful… half an avocado with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar… I digress, let’s get back to this yummy salad. This is a great way to use up leftover roast chicken but if you don’t have that, it’s still a quick prep with the recipe below.

Chicken & Cranberry Salad

Ingredients

2 chicken tenderloins
olive oil
a baby cos lettuce
6 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 an avocado
a piece of bread
mayonnaise
fresh parsley, to serve

Method

Heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat and gently fry the chicken tenderloins until cooked through.

While your chicken is cooking, you can prepare the salad. Cut and place the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, hazelnuts and avocado in a bowl and mix to combine.

Pop your piece of bread in the toaster and once it’s ready, remove the crusts and chop into little squares to create faux croutons.

Place a spoonful of mayonnaise in a small bowl, add the warm chicken and stir to coat.

Pop the chicken and mayonnaise on your salad and top with cranberries, the croutons and some fresh parsley.

Voila, a quick and healthy lunch. Bon appetit!