If you're like me, the coming of 2010 brought with it some resolutions to live a healthier life. Eating fresh and nutritious foods is just one of the ways we can take better care of bodies and improve our quality of life.
This salad is a favorite of mine. It comes from a book that I also highly recommend--Making the Cut by Jillian Michaels (trainer from the Biggest Loser). It's quick and easy to make, but more importantly, it tastes amazing. My friend Karen served this salad at our very first KO Book Club meeting last year. One of our friends (who shall remain nameless) wanted to lick her plate. It's just that good. So, enjoy this salad--I promise you will finish feeling full, satisfied and knowing you've made a healthy choice.
Note: Karen and I have both made this so many times I can't count. Try out some of variations to save time or if some of the ingredients aren't readily available to you.
California Chicken Salad with Mango and Avocdao
serves 4, 185 calories per serving
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons mango chutney (sugar-free orange preserves or peach chutney work well, too)
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
cooking spray
8 cups mixed salad greens
1 cup mango, diced (a Fugi apple tastes great if mangoes are too expensive or aren't in season)
3/4 cup avocado, diced
Combine oil, juice, chutney, soy sauce, and ginger in a small bowl. Place chicken on a large plate and spoon 2 tablespoons of oil mixture over it. Turn the chicken to coat and allow to stand 5 minutes. Reserve the remaining oil mixture to be used as the salad dressing.
Place chicken in a skillet or a grill on medium-high heat. Cook 4 minutes on each side, or until chicken is done, brushing with oil mixture from plate. Slice chicken cross-wise into strips. (I make my chicken ahead of time and shred it with a fork.)
Arrange greens, mango, and avocado on 4 serving plates. Arrange chicken over greens. Drizzle reserved dressing over salads.
hannah
