{skinny} chinese chicken salad

by | Mar 20, 2014 | chicken, chicken & veggies, healthy, recipes, salad

not sure if you saw my behind the blog post on saturday,
but in the spirit of keepin it real, i should let you in on another little secret:
i don’t just eat dessert.
 i do, eat dessert. and i still like myself.
but truth be told, i am living with a man who has been  
bumbin it to the gym every morning at 4am 
since november and it shows!
{insert cat call here}
nearly every conversation at our house begins with,
“so i was reading this article…”
and then he tells me something truly fascinating about the human body…
either gym-related… or diet-related.
cause when he delves into something, he really delves deep.
it’s good. cause it’s easier to make healthy meals when the man is on board…

so, along side some naughty desserts, over the next few weeks, we want to also show you a few of our favorite ways to reinvent “chicken & veggies”.
this salad was just beautiful.
and i wanted to try it the second i saw it.
so much color and flavor,
i could eat it with my eyes…
this is another one that could be thrown together so easily and taken somewhere…
cause all of the components, except for the dressing, are available already prepared:
sliced almonds, edemame, cabbage, carrots…
and chicken is just a quick toss in the skillet… nbd
{or, totally use a rotisserie and toss it in the marinade and cut up. shh, i wont tell…}

the ginger in this vinaigrette makes it sing,
and the small kick of sriracha… 
we ate the salad along side cc’s amazing baked apple ribs
{that we made in the crockpot this time… sooooo naughty!}

skinny chinese chicken salad

salad:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
4 cups shredded red cabbage
1 cup edamame
2/3 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chow mein noodles
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
sesame ginger vinaigrette (see ingrediente below)

sesame ginger vinaigrette ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
3 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. sriracha chile sauce (optional)
1 tsp. sesame oil
pinch of salt and pepper

1. place the chicken breasts in a ziploc back with the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar to marinade for at least 15 minutes, then remove and add salt and pepper.
2. heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken, cooking on both sides until cooked through. {about 4-5 minutes on each side.}
3. remove from heat, slice and cut into small pieces. mix other ingredients in a large bowl and toss in chicken.
4. wisk together vinaigrette ingredients until blended and serve with salad.

recipe from gimme some oven