This salad will warm your belly for the wintertime, while also providing you with the nutrition you need for your academic grind. Katelyn Waters/Daily Nexus

Welcome to the wild world of salads where strawberries and brussels sprouts embark on a deliciously unexpected rendezvous! Brace yourselves for a flavor fiesta that will have your taste buds doing the tango. In this unconventional dance of sweet meets savory, this strawberry brussels sprout salad is the ultimate party crasher at the salad bowl soiree. Who knew that these two seemingly unrelated ingredients could create such a harmonious medley? Get ready to toss tradition out the window and join us on a culinary adventure where strawberries and brussels sprouts unite, proving that in the salad universe, odd couples are always the life of the party! 

Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients: 

For the salad:

• 1 head of dinosaur kale
• 8 brussels sprouts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 10 large strawberries
• Half of a medium onion 
• 1 chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2/3 tablespoon salt

For the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/4 cup balsamic dressing
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Wash the brussels sprouts and cut the stems off, then cut them in half. Chop them again into bite-sized pieces. 
3. Before chopping the kale, massage the leaves to get rid of the bitter taste. 
4. Lay the brussels sprouts on a baking pan with parchment paper and coat with olive oil and salt. Bake for 5-7 minutes until crispy.
5. Pan-fry the chicken breast with your oil of choice. Set aside and slice the chicken into bite-sized nuggets.
6. Chop the strawberries into the same size as the brussels sprouts. Put the strawberries in a bowl and toss them lightly with honey.
7. In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients for the dressing.
8. In a large bowl, combine the brussels sprouts, kale, strawberries and chicken, slowly mixing the dressing in.

For faster cooking, a pre-made rotisserie chicken will complement this dish nicely as well. It will greatly reduce the cooking time and bring out a salty, savory flavor that teams amicably with the ingredients. This salad will warm your belly for the wintertime, while also providing you with the nutrition you need for your academic grind.