Stash-e-Gnome Salad – for Pistachio Day – February 26

This gnome lives in a corner of the kitchen.  He doesn’t have a name, but I am a little partial to Gerome.  Gerome the Gnome does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?  Anyway, when he is not causing trouble, he likes to oversee this salad that I named after him.

Stash-e-Gnome Salad

TIME/SERVINGS

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts, finely ground

1/2 + 1/4 t salt

1/2 t + 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup diced sweet white onion

1 head romaine lettuce

1 t grated sweet white onion

1 large ripe avocado, pitted and peeled

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix the nuts in a pie plate with 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper.
3. Press chicken into the nuts.
4. Heat 1 T of the oil in a skillet and cook the coated breasts 2 min per side. Place in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until done.
5. Heat remaining T of oil in a skillet over high. Add the onion, 1/4 t salt, and a pinch of pepper. Brown onion.
6. Line plates with lettuce, Slice the chicken breasts and arrange on top of the lettuce on each plate.
7. Serve with dressing
8. To make the dressing, puree onion, avocado, oil, lime juice and water in a blender.