Sunshine Chicken Chop Suey Salad

In the Pacific Northwest, sometimes you have to create your own sunshine. This week has been one of those "sometimes" where I am constantly looking for ways to brighten my day. Wearing bright clothes, watching movies that are filmed in the sunshine, having flowers on the table, and eating a colorful plate of food are just some of the ways I brighten my days.



I have also been frequenting the manager's specials sections of my one of my favorite grocery stores. They always have an array of different kinds of treasures there. Last week I picked up 2 packs of boneless, skinless, organic, no hormone, free range, vegetarian fed chicken thighs for only $3 a pack instead of the original $8. The assortment of meats, and chicken varies from day-to-day, but every time I am in the store I always check to see what treasures I may find, which in my case always sparks a new recipe or two. So it was with these thighs.

Sunshine Chicken Chop Suey Salad
Serves 6

Salad
1 head Romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces (set aside)
1 (8-oz) bag fresh bean sprouts
1/2 English cucumber, diced
1/2 medium zucchini, diced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup canned pineapple tidbits in its own juice, drained (Reserve juice for dressing)

Mix bean sprouts, cucumber, zucchini, red pepper and pineapple together in large salad bowl, set aside.

Chicken Chop Suey
2 Tablespoons non-fat, low-sodium vegetable broth
5 Chicken thighs (boneless and skinless), thinly sliced
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large stalk celery, thinly sliced at an angle
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

On med-high heat, heat vegetable broth in large skillet or wok until bubbly. Add chicken and stir fry until no longer pink, about 5-8 minutes. Drain and rinse chicken in cold water. Let drain. Meanwhile, drain liquid from skillet and return to heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and ginger to skillet, stir fry 2 minutes, Return drained chicken to skillet and stir fry until carrots and celery are fork tender. Add salt, remove from heat, let cool 5 minutes and toss with salad mixture. Set aside.

Dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons no sugar orange marmalade
1 Tablespoon Sesame oil
1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
6 Tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Mix together in food processor. Pour over salad, gently toss to combine.

Plate: Place torn lettuce on individual serving plate or large platter. Top with salad mixture and serve.

Nutrition info per serving:
Calories: 162.5; Total Fat: 4.4 g; Sat Fat: 0.8 g; Poly Fat: 1.5 g: Mono Fat: 1.5 g; Cholesterol: 38.2 mg; Sodium: 342.4 mg; Potassium: 674.2 mg; Total Carbs: 19.6 g; Fiber: 4.0 g; Sugars: 10.2 g; Protein: 11.9 g