After having been gone for the past two weekends and relying heavily on take-out this past week, it feels so good to finally have some home-cooking again! This last weekend I spent in Paris, Kentucky meeting my boyfriend's family and exploring their 95 acre horse farm. I had a great time but it is clear, more than ever, that I could never live down South. It was very slow paced (I'm a million miles an hour 24/7) and to be honest, the sprawling farms were beautiful but the huge amount of space in between homes felt kind of lonely to me.
One thing they DO have going for them south of the Mason-Dixon line is some ridiculously decadent, killer food (and apparently an obesity epidemic to match). At this one restaurant in Winchester (Hall's On the River), I was introduced to what could possibly be the most shamefully unhealthy meal I have ever consumed - the Hot Brown. Even better is that it came with a side of macaroni and cheese. Needless to say, I'll be kicking my own ass at the gym all week just to make up for that one item of food alone.
So, since the past week and a half has been spent chowing down on all sorts of naughty things, I figured I'd start this week with something fresh and light to get back on track. This apple chicken salad is phenom - filling, colorful, tasty, and incredibly low cal/low fat. It's great on its own or over a bed of field greens or, as I enjoyed it, as a toasted sandwich with brie. I had marinaded my chicken breast in garlic, salt and pepper, lemon, and a little Italian dressing overnight prior to grilling it so I didn't feel like the salad needed any spices or any additional salt and pepper added - although I guess it comes down to personal taste. The sweetness and crunch of the apple and bell pepper work perfectly to offset the savory taste of the grilled chicken and onion. I think this makes a great summer dish - although I can see it working in the fall with fresh seasonal apples as well. Either way, enjoy guilt-free :)
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| All the fruits and veggie prior to adding the chicken, sour cream, and mayo. Love the colors! |
Ingredients (4 servings - about a cup/pp):
- 2 cups shredded grilled chicken (mine was marinaded in garlic, salt and pepper, and a little Italian dressing)
- 1 apple diced
- 3 grape tomatoes sliced
- 1/3 cup of sweet bell pepper
- 1/3 cup of purple onion
- 1/4 cup scallions (green onions)
- 1/4 cup fat free mayo
- 2 tbs fat free sour cream
- lemon juice
Recipe:
- Dice the apple, squirt with a little lemon juice (to prevent browning) and add to a large bowl.
- Shred the grilled chicken (make sure it is somewhat cooled post-grilling) and add to the bowl.
- Add the onions, scallions, pepper, tomatoes, mayo, and sour cream to the bowl.
- Mix everything together and serve however you like (alone, over field greens, as a sandwich/panini with brie or cheddar, etc.)
- Calories: 106
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fat: 2g
- Protein: 11g
