Grilled Chicken Salad with a Fresh Strawberry Dressing

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/grilled_chicken_salad_with_a_fresh_strawberry_dressing.html

From EatingWell:  Spring 2003, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008)

Balsamic vinegar, strawberries and black pepper are a classic Italian trio: spicy and sweet, refined and earthy. Here they combine in a delicious dinner salad, topped with grilled chicken and toasted almonds. This dressing is also great on a salad of arugula, goat cheese and pecans.

4 servings, about 2 cups each | Active Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces thin asparagus, stem ends snapped off, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, stemmed (2 cups) (see Tip)
• 8 ounces snow peas, stemmed (2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon almond oil (see Note), or canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning
• Fresh Strawberry Dressing, (recipe follows)
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 4 whole strawberries, for garnish

Preparation

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking vegetables. Prepare a grill or preheat broiler.
2. Blanch asparagus, sugar snaps and snow peas in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water to refresh, then blot dry with paper towels. Whisk lemon juice, almond oil (or canola oil), salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the vegetables and scallions; toss to coat.
3. Rub chicken with canola oil and sprinkle with lemon-pepper seasoning. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the chicken and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes per side. (Alternatively, broil the chicken on an oiled broiler pan 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.) Let rest for 5 minutes.
4. Cut the chicken crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Divide the vegetable mixture among 4 plates. Arrange the chicken over the vegetables. Spoon about 3 tablespoons Fresh Strawberry Dressing over each salad. Sprinkle with almonds and garnish each serving with a strawberry. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving : 321 Calories; 17 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 11 g Mono; 49 mg Cholesterol; 17 g Carbohydrates; 25 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 356 mg Sodium; 633 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/4 fruit, 3 vegetable, 3 very lean protein, 3 fat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Blanch the vegetables up to 4 hours before serving; store in the refrigerator under barely moistened paper towels.

• Tip: Sugar snaps have a fibrous seam on the inside curve. To remove it, grasp the stem protruding from one end and pull it down the inside curve as if you were unzipping the pea.
• Note: Almond oil is an unrefined oil pressed from almonds. You can find it in many supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Store it in the refrigerator.
• Tip: To oil the grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to spray the food with cooking spray.