80--- Thai Chicken and Spinach Chopped Salad with Peanut Viniagrette

I'm not sure why chopped salads are more tasty than regular tossed salads.  But they are.  

This one has a Thai thing going on.  And the peanut dressing is lighter than average.  With just as much flavor.

Be sure to make extras! You will want leftovers the next day for lunch!

Thai Chicken and Spinach Chopped Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette
Serves 4

6 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
Dashes of salt and ground black pepper
1 dash crushed red pepper flakes
4 green onions, sliced
2/3 cup shredded carrots
2 cups baby spinach leaves, stemmed and chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed
1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 oz crumbled feta cheese
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts

Peanut Viniagrette
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Dash ground black pepper

To marinate chicken, combine lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large ziploc bag.  Add chicken breast(s), seal and refrigerate for two hours.

After chicken has marinated, preheat the grill over medium heat.  Place chicken breasts on the grill and cook for ~8-10 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.  Remove from heat, chop and place in the freezer to chill until you prepare the remaining ingredients (basically you don't want to put warm chicken into your salad- you can also prep this earlier in the day and refrigerate it until you are ready to use it).

For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk briskly to mix.

For the salad, combine remaining ingredients with chicken and toss to mix.  Pour on dressing and toss gently to coat.  Serve immediately!

Nutrition Info per 1 1/2 cups salad with dressing: 331 calories, 18 g fat (6.5 g monounsaturated, 6.5 g polyunsaturated), 21 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber