Buffalo Chicken Salad ♥ Week Four, Day Two - EatingWell Meal Plan

I am not sure if there is anything to say about this dish. Everyone loves Buffalo everything nowadays and since I had yet to make my version, I was happy to find this at EatingWell.com.

Every time we head to our favorite joint, right after ordering a round of drinks, one of us shouts out "and an order of Buffalo Chicken Chips, please".

What we enjoy about their version is that there is no breading on the chicken, just a coating of flour and then the sauce. Buffalo wing sauce is usually made with a hot sauce and butter and that's not very healthy. I found a bottle of Frank's Buffalo Sauce in my pantry, and all I needed was a yogurt-based blue cheese dressing, which I thinned with white wine. I placed a small container of extra blue cheese on the table because The Nudge loves blue cheese. Eat as much as you like if you do not have a cholesterol concern. Dairy has no carbs.

People forget that this is a one person diabetic family and I still set out condiments for the one who doesn't have to refrain. Bread and butter is enjoyed by my better half and with a salad I always include them.

I had two breasts from a rotisserie chicken and with some knife work, dinner was on the table in 15 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

4 servings, 2 1/2 cups salad & 3 oz. chicken each

EatingWell:  All the flavor of Buffalo chicken wings is packed into this irresistible, healthy salad. But unlike chicken wings, you can eat a big serving of this healthy Buffalo chicken salad recipe for just 291 calories.

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
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

Preparation

1. 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.
2. Place chicken in another bowl; sprinkle with flour and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper and toss until coated.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Per serving : 291 Calories; 11 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 75 mg Cholesterol; 15 g Carbohydrates; 32 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 607 mg Sodium; 832 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat, 1 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat