Asian Peanut Chicken Salad

Lunches are one meal that often get overlooked. They tend to leave a person quickly rummaging through the kitchen before work, or visiting a drive-thru because they didn't have time to prepare lunch. It's amazing how a little meal prep (I'm talking 20 minutes) on the weekend, can make all the difference for your work week or busy days at home with kiddos! I have found that taking a little time each weekend helps me eat more nutritious lunches, feel satisfied throughout the day, and saves so much time when my afternoons don't allow for making an actual meal.

With a little one, I have tried to find small shortcuts throughout the week to help with my meal prep. For this recipe, I like cooking a whole chicken over the weekend or simply buying a rotisserie chicken, removing the skin (unhealthy, saturated fat) and shredding it. I then put my shredded chicken in freezer bags so I can pull it out whenever I need precooked chicken. I also buy shredded carrots to save a step in this recipe. I quickly chop the other veggies and keep them separated. If you have a store-bought dressing you enjoy (Asian vinaigrette or something similar), you can remove another step. The dressing in this recipe is quite tasty, and once you have all the ingredients, it only takes a few minutes to throw together! Lastly, I suggest keeping all of your ingredients separated until ready to assemble. After prepping each item, I place them in individual baggies or Tupperware, including the dressing. Once you have all of your items prepped, place them in a lunchbox or bag to take to work the following Monday. You'll have all the ingredients ready to throw a salad together each day, and it will taste as fresh as the day you prepped it!

Asian Peanut Chicken Salad

Servings: 5

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:

1 red bell pepper, diced

1-1.5 cups shredded carrots

1 cucumber, sliced

5 cups Napa cabbage, chopped

2-3 cups spring mix or greens of choice, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

3 cups shredded chicken, cooked

1 1/4 cups sliced mandarin oranges (optional)

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1 T sesame seeds

Spiced Peanut Dressing:

3 T lime juice

2 T soy sauce or tamari for GF

2 T peanut butter

1 T rice vinegar

1 T honey

1.5 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp ginger powder

DIRECTIONS:

Mix 1 cup Napa cabbage with approximately 1/2 cup spring mix in bowl.

Add diced peppers, cucumber slices, carrots, and cilantro.

Top with 1/2 cup shredded chicken (hot or cold) and oranges.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sliced almonds and sesame seeds. To toast almonds ahead of time, either sauté in a skillet for 2-3 minutes until hot and slightly browned, or simply put on a plate in the microwave for one minute.

To make dressing, mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk until smooth.

If you prefer a little extra dressing, double the recipe.

Drizzle over salad and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Serves: 5 Serving Size: 1 salad

Calories: 316 Fat: 13g Carbs: 21 g Protein: 31g Fiber: 4.5 grams