Chinese Chicken Salad


1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or breast tenders,
with tendons removed, baked or grilled
3 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
2 cups Chinese cabbage, shredded
1 cup fresh spinach, stemmed and cut into thin strips
1 large yellow or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
½ cup sugar peas, blanched tender crisp
1 package enoki mushrooms, dirty ends removed and separated or fresh shitaki mushrooms, sliced thin
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
10 wonton skins*
1 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil*
cooking spray
1 recipe Spicy Sesame Ginger Dressing


1. Shred or cut chicken into small pieces; cover and chill. Wash and thoroughly dry greens before shredding. Toss greens together in a large bowl and refrigerate while preparing other ingredients.

2. Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray and preheat oven to 400º F. Separate wonton skins and lay side by side on a piece of wax paper. Using a pastry brush; carefully brush both sides of skins lightly with sesame oil. Cut skins in fourths with a sharp knife and transfer to baking sheet. Bake 5 to 6 minutes, until lightly browned; remove from oven and set aside to cool.

3. Except for wontons, place all salad ingredients together in a large bowl with greens; add dressing and toss together immediately. Top salad with wontons or serve on the side.

Yield: 8 servings each at approximately 132 calories; 2.2 grams total fat; 0.3 gram saturated fat; 25 milligrams cholesterol; 12.9 grams carbohydrate; 1.6 grams dietary fiber; 15.3 grams protein; 231 milligrams sodium.

Spicy Sesame Ginger Dressing
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon gelatin
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil*
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin sweet rice wine*
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 green onion, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
1/2 clove fresh garlic, pressed or finely minced
1/4 teaspoon salt


1. Pour 1/4 cup water into small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over water and allow to soften 3 to 4 minutes. Heat water on low; stirring occasionally until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Combine gelatin in a jar with all remaining ingredients and shake vigorously. Put dressing in refrigerator and chill 30 minutes to an hour to thicken. Shake dressing well before using.

Yield: 1/2 cup dressing or 8 1-tablespoon servings each at approximately 20 calories; 1.2 grams total fat; 0.2 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 2.7 grams carbohydrate; 0 dietary fiber; 0 protein; 129 milligrams sodium.

Recipes from the Cookbook, Lighten Up – The Art of Low Fat Gourmet Cooking, by Mary E. Ross

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