Colorful Ginger Chicken Salad

 

I'm not going to pretend that this recipe has anything to do with baking, spontaneously or otherwise. 

I have arthritis and I've been researching the connection between foods and inflammation. There's a lot of pseudo science out there on this topic, lots of people willing to sell you books, special plans and meal kits and supplements, none of which are evidence based. The only diet that my doctor said seems to show some actual anti-inflammatory effects is the Mediterranean diet. My blood pressure and cholesterol are also higher than ideal and the Med diet is supposed to be good for that as well so I've decided to give it a try.  Best way to get me to do something I'm not naturally inclined to do (like cut way back/give up on treats?): find some way of holding myself accountable. 

So here's my goal: Post one or two recipes a week related to my new food related journey. Here's #1 for this week: a colorful salad with poached chicken and a gingery dressing. 

Ingredients: 

Dressing: 

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons (or 6 frozen cubes) grated ginger 

2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used low sodium) 

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup avocado or olive oil 

Poached Chicken: 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (not pounded) 

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon garlic powder 

8 cups water 

Salad:

2 medium size sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed

1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil

12 oz steamed green beans (I buy the steam-in-the-bag type)

1 5 oz box spring salad green mix

10 oz bag of shredded red cabbage

10 oz bag of shredded carrots  

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small jar or salad dressing shaker. Set aside or stash in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the salad. This can be made 3-4 days in advance. 

To poach the chicken breasts: combine the water, soy sauce (I used low sodium) and garlic powder in a large pot. Lower in a vegetable steamer basket (like this one) and place the chicken breasts on top. This is to prevent them from being in contact with the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for about 20 minutes then begin checking the temperature of the chicken breasts. (I used this thermometer - this is not an affiliate link, I don't get paid if you buy one - I think they are genuinely the best ones out there, better than anything I've tried from amazon). When the chicken breasts reach 165 F, remove them from the pot carefully and set aside to cool. Once cool, you can store them in the fridge or even wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and keep in the freezer until you're ready to use them. These are very useful to have in the freezer for quick meals. 

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a sheet pan with foil (or don't, if you don't mind washing the pan). Toss your sweet potato cubes with the oil and a small pinch of salt and spread on the prepared sheet pan. Cover with another piece of foil (this one matters: we need to trap some steam). Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes then uncover and continue cooking until soft, another 10 minutes (depending on size of your cubes). Again, feel free cool and keep in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the salad. 

Assembling the salad: 

In a large bowl, toss together the salad greens, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, steamed green beans, and sweet potato cubes. Shred or cube your chicken breasts to your preference (I like cubes for salads but most people I know prefer shredded; you do you) and mix into the salad. Toss with half the dressing and taste. The rest of the dressing will last in the fridge for at least 3-4 days. 

Plate up and enjoy. 

The salad can be mixed up in advance as a long as all the elements are cool, but do not add the dressing until ready to serve. The lettuce will get soggy. This can also be portioned out to order if you want to make a big batch of it at the start of the week. Portion out individual servings and dress to order over the course of the week.