Summer Salad with Lean Chicken Breast and Avocado

It's the height of summer season with the heat literally slowing you down, phew! 

How about a salad? Something light and healthy, something that’s feasible to make and delicious to eat? Well, if you feel like munching a salad, what could be better than this one that ticks all the boxes!!? 

Yes, this lean chicken breast and avocado salad makes an easy, feel good, solo meal, ideal for a long hot day or lazy summer night. Bonus? It’s super healthy without any calorie penalty.

See, when it comes to staying fit and healthy, you don’t necessarily have to starve yourself or stick to a diet to boost your self-esteem. All you need is to be a bit more aware of your food and the choices that you make. White meat like chicken makes a healthier choice when compared red meat. Given a choice, use white skinless breast meat instead of thigh meat. Likewise, include a nutrient rich veggie/fruit as part of your meal. These smart li'l choices will definitely go a long way towards your eating healthy and staying fit goals.

I’m fond of fruits in savory salads. In this case, avocado gives the salad a creamy richness that's satiating. Per World’s Healthiest Foods, “Recent research has shown that absorption of two key carotenoid antioxidants—lycopene and beta-carotene—increases significantly when fresh avocado is added to an otherwise avocado-free salad.” So why hesitate from enjoying a few slices of avocado in your meal? Just remember, vinegar or lime juice is key to prevent discoloration.

A few weeks ago, when my hubby was away on business and I was alone at lunchtime, I made this salad and enjoyed it all by myself. And I'll tell you, it felt good to eat a light, balanced meal, and that too minus all the usual hassle in the kitchen. Last week, I made it again. This time for him to relish. Diligently retesting the recipe as well.

Though I love to cut down on time and effort, there’s no sacrifice on taste. I marinated the chicken for an hour and used a griddle pan for a lovely chargrilled taste. A bit of sugar in the marinade enhanced the char. The grilled chicken was a perfect compliment to the tangy salad dressing.

On another note, I’d like to publish consistently, and as often as my time would allow. But with Ramadan just around the corner and our vacation planned for mid Ramadan, I can’t help feeling overwhelmed. I hope to be able to continue my regular weekly posts, at least until vacation whatever.

Summer salad with lean chicken breast and avocado

(lightly adapted from Good Food magazine)

Ingredients
Serves 1

1 boneless, skinless, chicken breast

For the marinade

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon dry oregano

generous pinch garlic powder

generous pinch light brown sugar

2 teaspoon lemon juice

salt, to taste

For the salad

3 cherry tomatoes, quartered

½ small avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

½ small yellow bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and diced

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon olive oil
salt, to taste

Directions

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Lay the chicken in a shallow dish or tray, and rub the marinade all over. Allow to stand, in the refrigerator, for an hour for maximum flavor, or at least 20-30 minutes.

Heat the griddle pan to medium-low heat. When it is hot, wipe it with a muslin cloth dipped in olive oil. Cook chicken for 6-7 minutes each side, or until lightly charred and cooked through. Keep an eye on the temperature or the chicken will burn before it cooks through, and brush the meat with a bit of oil to keep it tender. Alternatively, you can grill the chicken on the barbecue over a moderate heat, or brown the chicken in a hot pan and then transfer to an oven to cook—your choice. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to a board and cut into thick slices.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Stir all the salad ingredients together, in a bowl, with some seasoning. Serve the sliced chicken with the salad, a wedge of lime and a twist of pepper, if you like.

Enjoy the beautiful fresh summery flavors with a glass of chilled drink.

Try it, I think you'll like it too.