Cooking Lesson #403: Healthy Chicken Salad

… Joan's Healthy Recipes

​How you doin’? Okay, I know working from home, plus stress and/or other pressures seems to pack on the pounds. You made a New Year’s Resolution to lose at least 2-1/2 pounds a month. That’s a nice safe weight loss to help you from gaining it right back again. So cut back on the fried foods and the ooey-gooey desserts and try one of our new healthful recipes. Our Survival Guide will publish one new recipe from the Healthful Collection every week. We promise you won’t be disappointed.
 
I love a good chicken salad sandwich, but who needs the high-calorie mayonnaise? Low-cal ranch dressing is the secret ingredient for replacing mayonnaise or other creamy ingredients typically used to dress a chicken salad. You’ll find it is addictively good and absolutely the best replacement for mayo—low on calories and fat and high on flavor!
 
While you can definitely make your own ranch dressing, but you can make this recipe quick and easy with store-bought Hidden Valley Ranch Low Fat Dressing or Bolthouse Farm’s Yogurt Classic Ranch.
 
My Healthy Chicken Salad is made with shredded chicken (left over rotisserie chicken), crisp celery, dried sweet cranberries, juicy grapes, and crunchy sliced almonds. It's tossed in a no-mayo dressing.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Yield: 6 -8 small sandwiches
Calories:  270 kcal
 
Ingredients 
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (store-bought)
3/4 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced seedless red grapes
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or dried sweet cherries)
1/4 teaspoon ground rosemary
3/4 cup reduced-fat ranch dressing
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
 
For serving
6-8 pieces green leaf lettuce
6-8 miniature or full-sized croissants or other toasted bread
Option: 6-8 hollowed out tomatoes (for stuffing) in place of bread
 
Instructions 
To prepare the chicken

1. Chop or shred the rotisserie chicken to get 3 cups and add to a large bowl.

To prepare the salad

1. Slice the celery in half and then chop to get small pieces.
2. Cut the gapes in half.
3. Add the celery, grapes, 1/2 cup of almonds, cranberries and rosemary to the bowl with the shredded chicken.

To prepare the dressing

1. In a small bowl, add the ranch dressing, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper.
2. Whisk together and then pour over the salad.
3. Gently toss to combine and again taste for seasonings.

To make the sandwiches

1.  Toast the bread and serve the chicken salad on top of the bread with lettuce, or in croissants with lettuce, or add this chicken salad to lettuce to make lettuce wraps or stuff hollowed-out tomatoes!

​ChefSecret:  Eat healthfully, keep an eye to the calories. Remember, not all that goes in comes out.

Quip of the Day: “I never would have known that a few weeks of uncut hair would weigh 20 pounds, but that’s what the scale says.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. In this New Year, seek out the good in people and avoid conflict. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America.

#Entrees #Lunch #HealthyChickenSalad #RotisserieChicken #LowFatRanchDressing #HiddenValley #BolthouseFarms #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

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