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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Have chicken salad in 10 minutes

 •  Minding your fruits and veggies


By Elaine Magee

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Uncooked ramen noodles offer convenience and fresh oranges add zing to Easy Chinese Chicken Salad.

Elaine Magee

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Q. One of my favorite salads to order in a restaurant is Chinese chicken salad. I am looking for a super-quick version I can make at home. Any suggestions?

A. Is a 5- to 10-minute prep time quick enough for you? To make this salad in a jiffy, we are going to use roasted or grilled chicken (prepared ahead of time or purchased at the supermarket), crispy uncooked ramen noodles (from a soup package), and bottled light sesame salad dressing. And instead of mandarin oranges, usually bought in a can, I used fresh orange segments. The toasted almonds are a must, contributing flavor and crunch along with smart fats and other helpful nutrients.

This is a truly satisfying salad with 35 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber—all for under 400 calories and less than 3 grams of saturated fat. Even if we cut the typical restaurant salad portion in half, this light version of Chinese chicken salad would still have [0xb7] less saturated fat and calories.

Elaine Magee's latest book, "Tell Me What To Eat if I Suffer From Heart Disease" (Career Press), is now available in bookstores and online.

EASY CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

• 4 cups shredded Napa cabbage or romaine lettuce torn into bite-size pieces, packed

• 1 1/3 cups shredded rotisserie or grilled chicken (boneless and skinless)

• 1/8 cup chopped scallions or green onions

• 1 orange, peeled and divided or cut into segments

• 1 cup snow peas or snap peas, trimmed

• 3/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

• 1/4 block ramen noodles (uncooked), broken into little pieces

• 4 tablespoons light Asian sesame dressing (i.e. Newman's own Low Fat Sesame Ginger)

Arrange 2 cups shredded cabbage or lettuce and 2/3 cup shredded chicken in each of two entree salad bowls.

Sprinkle the remaining ingredients evenly over the top of each salad bowl.

Drizzle about 1 1/4 to 2 tablespoons of light Asian sesame salad dressing over the top of each entree salad, toss lightly, and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 371 calories, 35.5 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 2.7 g saturated fat, 3.8 g monounsaturated fat, 2.2 g polyunsaturated fat, 79 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 483 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 22 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = .2 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = 2 gram, Weight Watchers points = 6