What if you had something that could combine healthy and delicious? And what if it was easy to prepare and contained all the proteins, fats, sugars and vitamins you need? There is such a meal. And it’s very easy to prepare. It’s the chicken salad.

Chicken salad recipes can be prepared in under 20 minutes. They are very healthy and no one can say they don’t love the taste of a well cooked chicken salad recipe. There are 2 components to a chicken salad, each with its importance and role. The first is the actual chicken. The chicken is very delicious when cooked right. It provides all the proteins and unsaturated fats you need for a day. Chicken meat is the healthiest meat after fish and sea food.

The second ingredient of a chicken salad recipe are the vegetables. You must add salad and tomatoes. The vegetables provide the vitamins that keep you healthy. The texture combination in chicken salad recipes is provided by the mixture of soft chicken, crunchy salad and juicy tomatoes.

Of course you also have to add olive oil and a bit of vinegar to make the over all salad even more delicious. The oil and vinegar have their own nutritious substance contribution. Besides their helath role they make the chicken and salad fit together.

No matter what you use exactly in your chicken salad recipe, it will surely be very tasty and very healthy. There are lots of chicken salad recipes out there, even on the Internet. Just choose the one you find best for you and for which you have all the ingredients. Just remember that both the chicken and the vegetables have their importance. This way you will acquire all the proteins, fats, sugars and vitamins you need for a healthy day.

Francis Murphy is a suburban mum who contributes lifestyle articles to top women focused periodicals and websites. Francis has a passion for writing, cooking at home, Chicken Recipes and Easy Recipes raising her kids and trying to do everything she can to stay healthy.

Are you tired of the same old salads day in and day out? Here is a great way to bring some new life to your entree salad list. This Grilled Thai Chicken Salad with its homemade dressing that combines soy sauce, lime juice, coconut milk, and peanut butter with Splenda (or Sugar for those who use it), will add a new dimension to your average chicken salad.

GRILLED THAI CHICKEN SALAD

1/2 cup hot water
2 tbsp lime juice
3/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp fresh minced gingerroot
1 tsp salt
4 (1 lb) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 cups mixed salad greens
1/2 med red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup canned bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh sugar snap peas

In a blender container, combine the water, lime juice, coconut, curry powder, gingerroot, and salt. Cover and process until blended. Pour into a large zip-top plastic bag and add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to evenly coat the chicken pieces. Refrigerate at least an hour to allow the sauce to marinate into the chicken.

To grill chicken; coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill. Drain and discard the marinade.

Grill the chicken, covered, over medium heat 4 to 7 minutes per side or until the juices run clear.

If you do not have a grill, broil the chicken 4-inches from the heat for 4 to 7 minutes per side or until juices run clear.

To assemble salad:
In a large salad bowl, tear the salad greens into bite-size pieces. Combine with the red pepper strips, bean sprouts, and sugar snap peas. Pour the following salad dressing over the mixture and toss to coat. Cut chicken into strips and arrange over the salad.

DRESSING:

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp coconut milk
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
4 tsp Splenda

Combine all ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Pour over salad as directed above.

Yield: 4 servings of 261 calories, approx 15 g carbs, 29 g protein

For more of Linda’s recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com
Also check out her quick and easy recipes at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com

In the eighties and early nineties, when my husband and I used to travel up to the Cupertino/Los Altos area, we’d always stop at our favourite “Emporium Department Store” for lunch. They had the best Chicken Salad Sandwich that we’ve ever tasted! This is another “chick recipe” as my husband calls it-though he admits he loved it too.

When the Emporium closed our stomachs felt the loss! Determined to savour that “taste” once again, we got to work recreating it–and then some! Let me tell you! It’s a delicious chicken salad made up of the following ingredients: cooked chicken breast pieces, diced celery, diced apples, red grape halves, toasted walnuts, Brie cheese chunks, a dabbling of mayonnaise and all served on raisin bread that’s been lightly toasted. Oh my God! It’s wonderful! Definitely a serotonin inducer. This recipe can be served as a salad or a sandwich –what best suits the occasion. This is a delightful lunch or a light dinner on a hot night. It’s perfect for sharing with friends and family.

You can make this recipe using a food processor to chop all (except the grapes and the brie) your ingredients or by hand cutting. The hand method is better for presentation and texture because all the chopped pieces are uniform. However, if you’re in a hurry, you can use your processor but be careful not to over grind the produce and turn it into a soupy mess.

This recipe will serve six people, three half sandwiches each. I like to serve each person three half sandwiches (because raisin bread runs small) placed around each dinner plate with extra grapes (still on the vine) in the centre of each plate.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 340g cooked boneless chicken breasts , diced
• 1 cup celery , diced
• 2-1/2 cups Red Seedless grapes , halved
• 3 cups Gala apples , diced
• 3/4 cup toasted walnuts , coarsely chopped
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons Lemon juice or to taste
• 200g Brie cheese , diced
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 18 slices Raisin bread , lightly toasted

Preparation Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coarsely chop the walnuts and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about ten minutes.
2. While the walnuts are baking, cut up the chicken, celery, red grapes, celery and apples.
3. Combine all the above ingredients. Mix thoroughly but gently.
4. By this time, the walnuts should be out of the oven and cooling. Add them to the mixture and gently mix.
5. Add the mayonnaise and toss again.
6. Add the lemon juice and thoroughly mix.
7. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
8. Carefully trim the outer skin of the Brie cheese. cut into to bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle over mixture and stir to distribute evenly throughout the mixture.
9. Correct seasoning and refrigerate for a few hours to merge the flavors.
10. At serving time, spoon the chicken salad on the toasted slices of raisin bread or serve as a salad with raisin bread diagonally halved on sides of plates.
11. Serve on dinner plates as described above and add extra red grapes to center of each plate and serve. Offer potato chips in separate bowl.

Wine and Food Pairing and Serving Suggestions
A cold Pinot Grigio goes perfectly with this delicious chicken salad.

Susan McGourty is a resident and vineyard owner on the California Central Coast. A former restaurant owner and professional cook, she writes about food and cooking techniques and is the food and recipe editor for TheRomanticTable.Com. Her cooking and recipe blog is at http://theromantictable.com/cooking-with-sue.php

For more recipes, food and wine news and ideas, visit the TheRomanticTable.Com http://theromantictable.com – an online magazine about food, wine and recipes from the California Central Coast.