Welcome to April and spotlight on Salad Greens! I absolutely love making salads. There isn't anything that you can't make and dream up when creating a salad. - And there isn't any salad that you can't put into a wrap! They are so versatile and fresh and so very very good for you.
I was craving something spicy and tangy last night and this quick salad fit the bill perfectly.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese plus 1/4 cup, divided
6 tablespoons buttermilk
4 teaspoons red-wine vinegar, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
3 large carrots, chopped
3 large stalks celery, chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
PREPARATION
Combine 1/2 cup blue cheese in a small bowl with buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; mix well, mashing slightly with a fork. Set aside.
Place chicken in another bowl; sprinkle with flour and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper and toss until coated.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in hot sauce and the remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar and cook, stirring often, until the chicken is coated, about 1 minute.
Combine lettuce, carrots, celery and cucumber in a large bowl; add the reserved dressing and toss to coat.
Divide the salad among 4 plates and top each with an equal portion of chicken and 1 tablespoon each of the reserved blue cheese.
