Recipe

I must share the best salad recipe ever. In my quest to become skinny again (by Christmas I might add) I have been watching a bit of Fit TV & I was watching Devin Alexander make salads. Well, it looked good enough on TV for me to take a trip to the local grocery store that very night. And well, it was DELICIOUS. And the even better part was it wasn't loaded with fat & calories.
So, definitely check it out. I'm usually not a big one for meat in my salads...but I tell you this one is scrumptious.



BBQ Chicken Chop


For the Salad:
Ingredients:
2 4-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast halves, visible fat removed
½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 recipe Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette (see recipe below)
1 recipe Fried Onion Strings (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce + additional for drizzling, if desired
5 cups finely shredded Romaine lettuce
1 cup seeded, diced chopped tomatoes
¾ cup seeded diced cucumber
¼ cup diced zucchini
1 ounce (about ½ cup) finely shredded 75% light cheddar cheese


Preheat the grill to high heat.

Place the chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper on a cutting board. Using the flat head of a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it is an even ½-inch thickness. Rub it with the olive oil, salt & pepper. Place it on the grill and cook it about 3 minutes per side or until it is no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it stand to cool.

Prepare the dressing.

Prepare the onion strings.

Meanwhile, chop the chicken and transfer it to a medium bowl. Add the barbecue sauce and toss to coat evenly.

To a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, and cheddar. Add the dressing and toss the salad. Transfer it to a serving platter or divide it evenly among 2 dinner plates. Top with the chicken and onion strings.

Makes 2 (about 3-1/4 cups each) entrée-sized servings; or 4 (heaping 1-1/2 cup) side-dish salads.

Each (entrée-sized) serving has: 467 calories, 41 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 71 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 1046 mg sodium


For the Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Pinch salt
Black pepper, to taste


In a medium re-sealable plastic container, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and honey. Slowly whisk in the oil. Stir in the basil then season with salt and pepper. Dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance.

Makes about 4 tablespoons (a bit over); 2 servings.

For the Fried Onion Strings (optional):
Ingredients:
8 1/8-inch thick slices from a small onion
½ cup store-bought plain breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
4 tablespoons egg substitute
olive oil spray


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly mist a medium, non-stick baking sheet with spray.

Separate the onion into rings.

Spoon the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a medium, zipper-top, plastic bag.

Pour the egg into a small shallow bowl.

Dip a few rings at a time into the egg mixture to cover them, then let any excess egg drip away. Next drop them into the bag of breadcrumbs and shake the bag to coat them completely. Shake off any excess crumbs, then transfer the onion pieces back to the egg mixture. Drop them into the crumb bag and shake the bag gently to coat them. They should be evenly and completely covered. Place them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Repeat this procedure until all of the rings are breaded—you may need to remove any lumps of crumbs from the bag about ½ way through the breading process. Lightly mist the tops of the pieces with the spray. Bake the breaded onions on a lower oven rack for 5 minutes, then carefully, being sure not the remove the breading, flip them and continue to bake them for another 4-5 minutes or until the breading is crispy and the onions are tender.

YUMMM, YUMMM, YUMMM! Seriously it's that good.