Fire up your blenders, everybody! The month of May is National Salad Month, and we’re going to be making some kickin’ dressings! Two weeks ago, I didn’t know about “salad month”, but I got to thinking, and decided that I’m going to try to post a salad EVERY DAY this month. SIKE! I thought I was going to try to post a salad every day, for the month of May, but then I came to my senses. I work a full time job, and the way I pack my schedule, I wouldn’t have any time for sleep. I’ve got Camp Blogaway coming up this Friday, and with the month of May being hectic already (!!), it just wouldn’t do me, or anybody, any good.
Summer is nearly around the corner, even though it doesn’t feel like it right now here in not-so-sunny California. None the less, we will be trading in our jackets and boots for tank-tops and flip flops on the permanent, and that means we’ll be more exposed! *gasp!* So, in order to ready ourselves (and our figures) for the summer, I’ve got a FANTASTIC low calorie, high nutrient, low fat, satisfying, fresh salad for you!!
I love chicken salad, tuna salad, and egg salad, but they are all so loaded with mayonnaise! Lots of mayonnaise means lots of fat, and that’s exactly the kind of fat that we don’t need this time of year. In order to eliminate the fatty dressing that’s slathered on these types of “salads”, I came up with a dressing that has NO mayo, and NO oil without compromising flavor AT ALL! In fact, it’s rich, has just a touch of cheesy (yes, WITHOUT cheese), and has a nice KICK to it! I hope you enjoy this mayo-less curried chicken salad as much as I do!!
And here we have our players:
Forgive my mango… It was just a teeny bit past it’s prime. Ripe fruit is good for you though!!! 😀
This is my new best friend. It’s seriously like smoke in powdered form.
Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, curry powder, and the bourbon smoked paprika. (If you have regular paprika, or any type of paprika, that’s fine)
Saute in a skillet over medium heat for 6-7 minutes per side, or until done, and let rest.
Throw the celery,
yellow pepper and onion,
mango, and tomatoes in a bowl.
Set that aside, and then prepare your “mayo”, by blending together 1/3 cup mango, and 1/3 cup roasted red pepper until smooth. Once blended, then add your spices,
… and blend again! If the mixture is a little too thick to blend, add in some of the red-pepper juice from the jar or water, one teaspoon at a time until it’s blend-able.
Get the rested chicken cubed up, and add to the bowl, along with your “mayo”, and mix well.
Serve on a bed of lettuce of your choosing, and enjoy!
Are you ready for summer? What do you do to shed those last few pesky pounds that winter packs on? Now if I can only resist the chocolate that seems to be never-ending in the candy bowl at work…..
Mayo-less Curried Chicken Salad
By
Published: May 1, 2012
A satisfying, yet slightly different take on Curried Chicken Salad. There’s no mayo!
Ingredients
For The Dressing:
1/3 CupMango, diced*
1/3 CupRoasted Red Pepper
1/4 CupNutritional Yeast
2 TeaspoonsCurry Powder
1 TeaspoonBourbon Smoked Paprika
1 TeaspoonSea Salt
¼ TeaspoonPepper, or to taste
For The Salad:
1 PoundChicken Breasts, boneless & skinless
¼ TeaspoonCurry Powder
¼ TeaspoonBourbon Smoked Paprika
¼ TeaspoonSea Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper
1 TeaspoonOlive Oil
½ CupCelery, diced
½ CupYellow Bell Pepper, diced
½ CupOnion, diced
1Roma Tomato, diced
1/3 Cup Mango, diced*
8 CupsRomaine Lettuce, shredded (1 large head, or 2 smaller heads)
1. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the olive oil. Season the chicken breasts with the curry powder, paprika, salt and pepper, and cook for about 4-7 minutes each side depending on their thickness, or until done. Let rest for 5 minutes before chopping into chunks.
2. In a blender, add red pepper and mango, and blend until smooth. Add in spices, and blend again until smooth. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Mixture should be thick, but if it’s too thick to blend, add a touch of the juice from the roasted red pepper jar, or a splash of water.
3. In a bowl, add the chicken, celery, bell pepper, onion, tomato, mango, and dressing, and mix well.
4. Divide the romaine lettuce between 4 salad bowls/plates, and top with the mayo-less curried chicken salad. Enjoy!
*Just as a side note, I used half of one mango for the dressing, and the other half for the salad. Don’t worry if you’re a little short or over on the mango measurement.
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: About 4 Cups
Serving size: About 1 Cup
Calories per serving: 206
Fat per serving: 3.4g
Saturated Fat per serving: 0.3g
Cholesterol per serving: 58.4mg
Sodium per serving: 680.8mg
Carbohydrates per serving: 19.8g
Fiber per serving: 5.1g
Sugars per serving: 10.6g
Protein per serving: 25.5g
It looks fantastic! I must try this soon.
😀
Looks great. I can almost smell it. Just one question. What about the nutritional yeast? Not sure what that is.
Hey Judy! Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast, and according to wikipedia, “It is a source of protein and vitamins, especially the B-complex vitamins, and is a complete protein. It is also naturally low in fat and sodium and is free of sugar, dairy, and gluten. Sometimes nutritional yeast is fortified with Vitamin B12.” It’s really popular with vegans, as it contains a cheesy flavor. I made Vegan Cheesy Pasta once, and was hooked. I love the stuff!
jumpy mouse again… hence “jyoopNot” crazy thing. have to clean it.
I love salad month…Time to get ready for tank tops and beachwear (yey!) Time to get rid of flabby arms and the adipose deposits in the tummy (LOL!) That is why I love this salad, nutritious.. without the additional fats and filling too. I’ll go and whip it up now!
Woohoo!!! I’d love to hear what you think of it! 😀