Strawberry Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I love salads! They’re refreshing and a wonderful way to pack a whole lot of goodness into one bowl. I know in a previous post I mentioned a book called Skinny Chicks Don’t Eat Salads, but I should clarify that my mom purchased the book for me, maybe because she thought I thought the only way to be skinny was if I ate salads all the time. That simply is not the case. I just thoroughly enjoy salads- maybe it’s just a remnant from my vegetarian days? But if you enjoy salads like I do, then you’re also aware that the most fattening part of the salad is the dressing. (Unless you’re one of those bacon bits type people, then I don’t know how to help you.)

However, some of the keys to keeping off the fat in your salad dressing are as follows. First, stick to a serving size. Don’t overdo the dressing, if a serving size is 2 Tbsp- which they typically are- then use only 2 Tbsp. The reason people get into trouble with salads is because they do not enjoy the actual salad, they enjoy the dressing. So if you are one of those people, you would probably be better off eating something else, but if you like the taste of the actual salads and use the dressing as just a topping rather than a main component then continue on… Secondly, know what’s in your dressing and make appropriate substitutions. YES! We’re back to that… substitute the fatty ingredients for similar slimmer ingredients. Lastly, make sure the other components of your salad are contributing nutritionally, not just adding more fat. Be wise when compiling your salad.

So I was trying to decide what kind of salad I wanted to make when I thought to myself anything with poppy seed dressing and grilled chicken. Then my head started to roll with all of the wonderful salad mix-ins that go great with poppy seed dressing. I love fruits with poppy seed dressing, all kinds, like mandarin oranges, strawberries, blueberries, a few walnuts or almonds perhaps, some red onions and mushrooms, it’s all up to you!

So my foundation salad recipe for you to customize to your personal taste is a recipe I like to call:

Strawberry Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

First we will go over the poppy seed dressing- this is where I use my own customized substitutions. I looked over several different versions of poppy seed dressing. Some of them included lemon and others included onion, some had mustard while others contained no such thing. So, after looking over a couple different versions deciding which components I liked in some and what I didn't like about others, I finally decided on the version below:

Poppy Seed Dressing:

¼ c +2Tbsp oil*

¼ c non-fat greek yogurt*

1/3 c white vinegar

1/3 c sugar substitute

1/4c grated red onion

¾ tsp salt

2 Tbsp honey mustard

¾ Tbsp poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients together, you can use a processor, and refrigerate to store.

*Side Note: In this version, the oil is cut in half from the original version and replaced with Greek yogurt which cuts the fat in half and adds protein.

It should also be noted that this recipe yields a considerable amount of dressing, but a serving size is still 2Tbsp, so although it seems like a large amount of oil and sugar (the ones we need to watch out for) in reality, your consumption per serving is not bad. Plus, your oil has good fats in it; it just needs to be regulated.

Here’s how I make tender chicken breasts for my salads:

This recipe is also modified by me, so that it is healthier than its original version, which is found in Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients:

1-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ c whole wheat flour
1 tsp freshly chopped herbs (optional)
1tsp Olive oil
½ Tbsp Omega 3 light spread**

**Side Note: Most margarines contain Trans Fat, which is a BIG No-no! If you own anything that contains Trans Fat or hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil, get it out of your house! Look for this in margarine, shortening, some butter substitutes, or peanut butter. I've even seen it in my tortillas! There are spreads that are mostly vegetable oil that do not contain any of these, purchase a light version with Omega-3 and use that as a healthy substitute for butter in recipes.  

To Make:

1. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness.

2. Salt and pepper chicken breasts.

3. Mix in half teaspoon of salt and some ground pepper with the flour along with any herbs you may be using.

4. Just lightly coat the chicken breasts in flour mixture (we’re not going for breaded chicken, we’re just sealing in the moisture.

5. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it is quite hot, add the olive oil and butter. Swirl them together.

6. Turn the heat to medium. Add the chicken breasts. Cook for just about 1 minute to until slightly golden on one side. Then flip each chicken breast over.

7. Turn the heat to low. Place cover on the pan. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Important!- Do not lift the lid- the steam helps cook the chicken.

8. After 10 minutes have elapsed, turn off the heat, but do not lift the lid. Reset the timer for 10 minutes and leave the chicken breasts in the pan.

9. After the 10 minutes are up, take the lid off, there you have your perfect for salad chicken breasts! Yum!

Put it all together!

For the Strawberry Chicken Salad combine the following:

Romaine lettuce

Grilled chicken- see recipe below

Sliced strawberries

Julienned red onions

Candied almond slices***

Top it with 2 Tbsp dressing!

 A good alternate to my version here would be spinach instead of romaine and add some blueberries. Then you could pack in some great antioxidants! I just didn’t get around to it, but it was delicious nonetheless.
If you choose to cook the chicken another way, just be sure to keep out the fat, that means regulate the amount of cooking oil/butter.
Also, I made candied almonds, which definitely adds sugar, instead you can just toast the almonds and they would be much healthier.

***Side Note: A serving size for nuts is 1oz. Most nuts contain twice the amount of fat as protein; therefore you should count them toward your fat intake rather than protein intake, and certainly keep quantity down- not to say they aren’t good for you, just in moderation. Now, if your almonds have sugar, the portion may need to be reduced from the 1 oz.

So there you have it! An amazingly yummy and also healthy salad!