Mother's Day is just around the corner. You can celebrate Mom with this tasty, light dinner. This Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad is easy to make and takes only minutes. It uses bought cooked or rotisserie chicken.
Sesame oil and fresh ginger flavor the salad. I like to use toasted sesame oil that can be found in the Asian section of most markets. It has a deep nutty flavor.
HELPFUL HINTS
- You can use any type of cooked chicken. Remove the skin and bones for the salad.
- You can use white vinegar diluted with a little water instead of rice vinegar.
- You can use bok choy or thinly sliced regular cabbage instead of Napa or Chinese cabbage.
- You can use green or yellow bell peppers instead of red bell pepper.
SHOPPING LIST
- To buy: 1 small piece fresh ginger, 1 bottle reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 bottle rice vinegar, 1 bottle toasted sesame oil, 1 jar honey, 1/2 pound cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 small head Napa or Chinese cabbage, 1 red bell pepper, 1 container portobello mushrooms, 1 bunch scallions, 1 bottle unsalted peanuts, 1 bunch cilantro (optional garnish).
Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad
2 tablespoons chopped or grated fresh ginger (or 2 teaspoons ground ginger)
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 pound cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups thinly sliced Napa or Chinese cabbage
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms, sliced
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional garnish)
Mix ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and honey together in a medium-size skillet. Turn on the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken, and cook 3 to 4 minutes to warm chicken. Divide the cabbage between two dinner plates. Remove the chicken from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving the sauce, and place on top of cabbage on each plate. Add the red bell pepper, mushrooms, scallions and peanuts to the plates. Heat the sauce in the skillet for 30 to 40 seconds to thicken sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce over the salad. Sprinkle the cilantro on top, if using.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 532 calories (48% from fat), 28.4 grams fat (4.5 grams saturated, 13.1 grams monounsaturated), 84 milligrams cholesterol, 40.4 grams protein, 33.2 grams carbohydrates, 9.1 grams fiber, 860 milligrams sodium.
- Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
Linda Gassenheimer is the author of over 30 cookbooks, including her newest, "The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook."