Chopped Greek Salad with Chicken

Continuing my quest for healthy living (I went for a run before work the past two days!), I started looking up some options for lunches that would be easy to bring to school and eat during my limited lunch break. Otherwise, I might be tempted to get a quick drive-thru meal or go for the vending machines, neither of which would be a great idea. My friend Jourdan told me about this website "Eating Well" and all the great recipes it has. It's where I got the recipe for that Pimiento Cheese and Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breasts that were oh-so-delicious.

Anyhoo, the second I got to the website I saw a dish I immediately wanted to try. This chopped Greek salad with chicken looked absolutely yummy and perfect for lunch. I have to admit, I began typing this blog post before I even made the dish! I also made a few modifications. I don't care for olives, so I added some pine nuts for a little extra flavor. I also used grape tomatoes instead of regular ones, and I halved the recipe (shown below).

Let me tell you, this salad was amazingggg. When I brought it to the table the hubby said, "That smells really good, which is strange to say about a salad!" He was a little skeptical of the dressing, too, but once he tasted a bit he spooned it all over his salad. I am so glad I made extra of this because I am going to have it for lunch tomorrow! Actually, I'm thinking this salad will become a weekly staple and perfect quick lunch...This salad is filling, satisfying, and delicious. Try it ASAP!!

Ingredients:

*1/3 cup red-wine vinegar

*2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

*1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

*1 teaspoon garlic powder

*1/4 teaspoon salt

*1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

*3 cups chopped romaine lettuce

*1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

*3/4 container of grape tomatoes, sliced in fourths or halves

*1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

*1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
*2 tablespoons pine nuts
*1/3 cup red onion, diced or finely chopped

Preparation:

*Prepare chicken (unless you have some leftover or store-bought).

For healthiest chicken, poach: Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water (or chicken broth) to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 15 minutes.     

        

*Whisk vinegar, oil, dill (or oregano), garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

*Combine lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, pine nuts and feta; toss to coat.

*Spoon dressing over your servings of salad (I prefer to do this because if you have leftovers it keeps the lettuce and veggies crisp and soggy from dressing. You can also toss the whole salad in the dressing if serving it all).

*This is a wonderful low-calorie meal so enjoy it! YUM!

Very finely diced red tomato.

Peeled and seeded, ready to be chopped.

Let the mixing begin!

All mixed up, just waiting for the dressing.

Nice. Salad. I don't say this often.

Did I mention this was a horrible salad?