Salads: This salad makes for a nice summer meal when served with soup and fresh bread.

CHICKEN AND AVOCADO SALAD:

2 boneless chicken breasts                            

2 cups French vinaigrette dressing

2 ripe avocado                                                

2 lemons, cut into wedges

salt & pepper to taste                                      

salad greens

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Bake in 325 degrees F, oven for 40 minutes until done. Alternately, pan fry chicken breasts or cook on the BBQ in your own favourite way.  Cut into strips about 2-inches long and ¼-inch thick.  Marinate with oil-and-vinegar dressing overnight.

Just before serving, half avocado and remove stone. Peel and slice flesh; then arrange slices of avocado and chicken alternately on a bed of lettuce. Ladle a little dressing over everything and serve with lemon wedges.

FRENCH VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:

3 parts oil                                                        

1 part vinegar, preferably good balsamic vinegar

½ tsp. each salt & freshly pepper

½ to 1 tsp. sugar                                              

½ to 1 tsp dry or fresh mustard

chopped herbs                                                

1 clove garlic

Crush garlic.  Whisk mustard with a bit of oil into a thin paste. Add salt, pepper, sugar and the herbs. Add rest of oil and whisk together. Vinegar is added last and the whole mixture is whisk well together.

Some people prefer olive oil, but other oils may be used, or a combination of 2 oils.

There is a wide variety of vinegar to choose from---cider, red wine, white wine, tarragon and other flavoured vinegars, as well as balsamic vinegar. Lemon juice may be used with some salads, particularly seafood salads.