May Recipe of the Month - Chopped Salad
Ready for summer weather and a delicious light and refreshing salad dish? Try this popular trendy dish found on restaurant menus all over town. Our version is, of course, lower in calories and has optimum protein for a complete dinner meal. Enjoy on the LCD or MD. For those of you on the VLCD, eliminate the garbanzo beans for now to keep your carbohydrate grams low.
Ingredients Needed:
For the salad:
- Chopped lettuce, 8 cups (romaine, butter, radicchio, endive)
- Garbanzo beans, 1/2 cup, chopped finely
- Red peppers, fire roasted, 1/2 cup, chopped finely
- Artichoke hearts, packed in water, 1/2 cup, chopped finely
- Olives, Kalamata, pitted, 10, chopped
- Kraft 2% Italian Three Cheese, shredded, 1/4 cup
- Fresh parmesan cheese, shredded, 1/4 cup
- Salami slices, 60% reduced fat, 8 slices, finely chopped
- Fresh basil leaves, 1/4 cup, chopped
-Chicken breasts, boneless, seasoned with 4 T. lemon juice, salt and pepper,12 oz (approximately three 4 oz chicken breasts) cooked, and chopped
For the dressing:
- Extra virgin olive oil, 2 T.
- Mayonnaise, 1 T.
- Lemon juice, 4 T.
- Italian seasoning, dried, 2 tsp.
- Salt and pepper
- One small garlic clove, minced
Assembly:
1. In a bowl, season the raw chicken with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let marinade for about 20 min.
2. Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl or pitcher and set aside.
3. After the chicken has marinated, grill in a non-stick pan for 8-10 minutes, until cooked.
4. Once cooled, cut the chicken into very small bite-sized pieces.
5. In a salad bowl, add all the ingredients and mix gently. Add the salad dressing, and mix again.
6. Divide the ingredients into four servings and serve with a garnish of fresh basil leaf and lemon wedge.
Nutritional Analysis: Each serving contains approximately 330 calories, 31 grams of protein, 11 grams of carbohydrates, and 18 grams of fat.
