The Best Salad with Dressing
You know you are winning in taking better care of your health when you make a salad taste just as delicious as a Southern Comfort food meal. This is The Best Salad dish and you are going to want to eat the entire bowl in one sitting and you just might. Go For It!
Chicken was my protein of choice, but feel free to add shrimp or steak or go meatless. I chose chicken because that’s what I was in the mood for at the time. Once I cooked the chicken, I started adding all of the delicious vegetables. The sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and of course, the lettuce made for one of the tastiest salads I have had in a long while. I drizzled the salad with a dressing that I made and will share in the recipe down below. Ahhh, I was in Salad Heaven.
The Best Salad with Dressing
4
10
15
minutesIngredients
- For the Salad:
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
4 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
- For the Chicken:
1 large boneless and skinless chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
Olive oil for pan
- For the Mushrooms:
1 cup cremini mushrooms
Olive oil for pan
- For the Dressing:
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
water for loosening, as needed
Directions
- For the Sweet Potato:
- In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high and add sweet potatoes.
- Toss around in oil. Cook for 10 minutes while occasionally stirring.
- Place in salad.
- For the Chicken:
- Season chicken with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Next, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side. Or, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Slice how you desire (chunks, thin slices, etc.)
- For the Mushrooms:
- In the same skillet used to cook the chicken, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook mushrooms until tender to your liking.
- For the Dressing:
- Mix together plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, honey, black pepper and water. Use as salad dressing.
- To Assemble:
- Assemble all ingredients and serve with dressing.
I have been on a health kick lately, and I have been trying out recipes that are hearty but light. I know that vegetables can be quite filling and pack a super powerful punch, in boosting our immune systems and overall health. And, I used what I already had in my pantry. When I go grocery shopping, I will buy a couple heads of lettuce, just so I won’t have to keep going back and forth to the market for one thing and come out with 20 things.
I have learned to be a smart shopper and not be tempted by everything that looks good. Besides, food prices have sky-rocketed and most of us have to be conscious of that. Of course, if you are a foodie like I am, you know all too well, the trappings of the grocery store trickery. The store managers tease us as soon as we walk in the door with all of the “deals of the week” that we usually cannot resist. And, I have a tip for you to not fall for that trap. If there are two doors to get into the store, go into the alternate door, not the main one.
You will save yourself a lot of calories and definitely money. I used to impulse buy, and that little trick works because if you don’t see it, then you don’t want or need it right? There is a method to the grocery store madness too. I learned another tip that I will happily share with you. All of the not so good foods are right there for you to grab. Yep. The healthier ones, take effort. They are placed on the highest shelves or the lowest ones. The middle shelves(the eye level ones) are not so healthy for you.
So the next time you go to a regular grocery store, just take note. Knowledge is Power and learning these tips made me more aware of my food choices. I hope it helps you too. Enjoy This Best Salad Ever!
