crunchy barbeque chicken salad

if you’ve known me for a while (in real life) then you know that i have a niche for flavors and telling the spices/ingredients used in a dish. i like to believe that this is one of my god-given talents but helped along by my daddy growing up. when dieting this comes in handy because i can literally take items on the list and make something that is damn tasty. like this crunchy barbeque chicken salad. i guess my restaurant background also helps me think of yummy salads, too! 

1 head of romaine lettuce, chunky shred

1 jicama, peeled and sliced into sticks  

1 pasilla pepper, seeded and julienned

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into sticks 

1 avocado, diced (this is not approved on cycle 1 of the 17-day diet, but we used it anyway)

1/4 cup fat-free cheese 

4 baked chicken tenders

barbeque sauce (see recipe below)

cilantro dressing (see recipe below) 

in a bowl add in the lettuce and dressing. with the dressing, a little goes a long way so use your best judgement. toss the lettuce to coat. 

place lettuce onto a plate. layer the veggies, then cheese, and chicken. top the salad with a drizzle of the barbeque for some extra sweetness. 

enjoy. super easy and quick for a week night meal, especially if you pre-slice the veggies and cook the chicken! 

(17-day diet adapted recipe)

1/4 cup low-sugar ketchup

a few dashes worchestershire sauce 

1/2 tsp agave

1 tsp chili powder 

mix all the ingredients together. you can marinate the chicken tenders with the sauce like i did and then bake them at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through. 

1/2 cup packed cilantro 

1 garlic clove

1-2 TB minced pasilla pepper 

1 TB agave 

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (you could use white)

1-2 TB flax seed oil

1/2 tsp cumin 

salt & pepper to taste 

in a small food processor combine all ingredients and pulsate until you have a creamy, emulsified blend. you can adjust the agave/vinegar ratio depending on your taste. my dressing was slightly sweet, with a big cilantro kick and subtle kick of spice from the pepper.