Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Quick & Easy: Chicken, Pear and Parmesan Salad

Since today was in the low 80ºs, this was just right for dinner.  It is truly quick, very easy and a "10" on the  "make it again" list.

Serves - 4  /  Serving Size - 2-1/2 cup
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

2 Tblspn cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 Tblspn olive oil or canola oil
1 Tblspn honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
5 cups torn fresh spinach leaves [used Baby Fresh Field Greens]
2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast
2 pears, cored and cut into cubes
1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved

1.  In a small screw-top jar combine vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper.  Cover and shake well.

2.  In a large salad bowl combine greens, chicken, pears, onion and cranberries.  Drizzle dressing over salad, tossing to coat evenly.  Top with cheese.

Exchanges:  1 vegetable  /  2 fruit  /  4 lean meat  /  1 fat
Calories - 306                        Sodium - 343mg
Total Fat - 11g                       Total Carbs - 26g     w/net Carbs - 22g
   Saturated Fat - 3g                    Dietary Fiber - 4g
   Monounsat Fat - 6g                 Sugar - 18g
   Polyunsat Fat - 1g               Protein - 26g
Cholesterol - 64mg

Source: http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/recipe/salads/chicken-pear-and-parmesan-salad/

Review/Suggestions:

  • I had one large chicken breast that I boiled for approximately 15 minutes, drained and placed in the fridge to cool.  Once cooled, I just pulled the meat apart.  To save even more time and reduce clean-up, you could use already chopped chicken.
  • Since I didn't have a jar, I just mixed all of the salad dressing ingredients in one of my small 1-1/2 measuring cups.  I was still able to stir and mix all the ingredients without any problems.
  • To add more variety, I used the baby field greens, which also had spinach in the mix.
  • Again, to save time I used a jar of grated Parmesan - it was a better buy than the pre-shredded.
  • This is a very easy "make ahead" meal.  Just hold the dressing and Parmesan cheese until you are ready to serve.

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