Mâche & Chicken Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing

From EatingWell: March/April 2009 — Subscribe Now!

In this salad, mâche is tossed with spring ingredients—new red-skinned potatoes and fresh peas—and a lemony tahini dressing and chicken.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This salad and dressing had a wonderful flavor! I never thought of putting potatoes in a salad, we all really liked it! "

Mâche & Chicken Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing Recipe

4 servings, about 2 cups each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

Dressing

1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup tahini, (see Tip)
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Salad

1 pound new or baby red potatoes
1 pound chicken tenders
1/4 teaspoon plus pinch of salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small clove garlic
4 cups mâche, or baby spinach
1 cup shelled English peas, (about 1 1/2 pounds unshelled) or thawed frozen peas
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

Preparation

To prepare dressing: Combine lemon juice, 1/3 cup oil, tahini, honey and minced garlic in a blender, a jar with a tight-fitting lid or a medium bowl. Blend, shake or whisk until smooth. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
To prepare salad: Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, add 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Put potatoes in the basket and steam until barely tender when pierced with a skewer, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on size. When cool enough to handle, slice or quarter.
Meanwhile, toss chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean cutting board to cool. Shred into bite-size pieces.
Season a wooden salad bowl by rubbing with 1/2 clove garlic and a pinch of salt. Chop the garlic and add to the bowl along with the potatoes and mâche (or spinach). Pour 1/2 cup dressing over the potatoes and greens; gently toss to coat. (Cover and refrigerate the remaining 3/4 cup dressing for up to 3 days.) Add peas, shallot and the shredded chicken; gently toss and serve.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the dressing (Step 1) for up to 3 days.

Tip: Tahini is a thick paste of ground sesame seeds. Look for it in large supermarkets in the Middle Eastern section or near other nut butters.

Nutrition

Per serving: 381 calories; 16 g fat (2 g sat, 10 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 32 g protein; 4 g fiber; 525 mg sodium; 727 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A & Vitamin C (45% daily value), Folate & Potassium (21% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean meat, 3 fat