Chicken and Mango Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

You all know how it goes–new year, new commitment to cooking and eating healthier, new drive to work out more.  I’m all in on it.  I know plenty of health gurus tell you not to go overboard, not to burn yourself out and send yourself into a tailspin of gluttony and lethargy.  “Don’t deprive yourself!” they all say.  “You’ll only do yourself more harm than good.”  That may be true.  But I’m not here to write about deprivation and starvation.  This is a food blog, after all.

What I am here to write about is a recipe that is just as healthy–packed with lean protein and nutrients–as it is delicious.  With crunchy almonds, sweet mango, and a tangy vinaigrette, this salad hits on all levels.  It won’t help you on the resolution to work out more, but it comes together quickly, which is great for those nights when you get home late and are tempted to go through a drive-thru.  Even better, you can prepare the dressing and cook the chicken the night before.  With all of that in place, this salad certainly makes cooking and eating healthier much tastier and much, much easier.       

Chicken and Mango Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

an “Apple a Day” original

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

3 TBSP fresh lime juice

3 TBSP honey

3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad:

fresh spinach (use as much as you’d like–it’s good for you!)

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced 

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-in. slices

1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

1.  To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar and shake.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

2.  To assemble the salad, place desired amount of spinach on four plates.  Top with equal amounts shallot, chicken, mango, and almonds.  Drizzle dressing on top.