Chicken Salad  Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until oil is shimmering and hot. Add chicken and cook until nicely browned on one side, about 3 minutes.

Flip chicken over, add water, and cover the skillet. Cook chicken, letting it poach, until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and cool slightly before carving.

Toss lettuce, cheese, apple, pecans, onion and dried cranberries together. Slice chicken on a diagonal and arrange over salad. Serve with vinaigrette on the side.

Cranberry Vinaigrette  Combine cranberry juice (or water) and cranberries in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for one minute until hot. Process hot cranberry mixture, vinegar, shallot, garlic, thyme, mustard, salt and pepper in a blender until shallot and garlic are finely chopped. With the blender running, add oil and continue to blend until dressing is smooth and well-combined. Thin if needed, with additional cranberry juice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground allspice

2 cups pecan halves

1 Tbsp sugar

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in spices and then pecans. Toast nuts, stirring often, until color deepens slightly and they are lightly toasted, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer nuts to a bowl and toss with sugar. Cool completely before tossing with the salad.