Healthy, quick, easy to make – these were the three things I wanted for dinner yesterday. And I came across a chicken salad recipe that fit the bill in all respects. I gave it a go and so here are the results: Both myself and the husband loved it and best of all – my 2.5 year old fussy eater gobbled up his share and asked for “summooooreee”!
This had been one of the easiest dinners that I have made and I loved it – only takes 15-20 minutes of effort. Ingredients are generally stocked in everyone’s kitchen and no need to buy specialty items which are only available in a handful of supermarkets. It’s got the goodness of green leaves (fibre, iron, etc), avocado (fibre, vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids – good for the heart and in reducing cholesterol) and other vegetables (tomatoes, onions, bell peppers) coupled with chicken (protein). I did add in some “unhealthiness” into the mix through sour cream to further delight the taste buds.
I felt no guilt like after a meal of chapati and aloo dum and most importantly I didn’t feel like I was bursting at the seams after dinner. It left me enough room to enjoy a cup of tea later before going to bed.
I could not believe how such an effortless dish can be so yummy and it looked beautiful too with all the lovely colours. Here’s the recipe for posterity and for those who want to try it out.
Chicken Fajita with avocado salsa and sour cream on the side
What is needed:
- 500gm boneless chicken breasts (serves 3-4)
- 2-3 tbsp Olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp Lime Juice
- 1 tbsp Pepper, Mixed herbs, and Chilli powder (or Paprika)
- 1 Onion cut into thick slices
- 1 Red or Green Bell Pepper thickly sliced
- 200 gms of salad leaves (of your choice)
- 1 tbsp Salt (to taste)
Marinade the chicken breasts with olive oil, lime juice, pepper, herbs, chilli and salt. It can be left at room temperature for an hour or so before cooking, or can be done in the morning and kept in the fridge for the day.
Heat the griddle pan with olive oil until very hot, add in the chicken pieces and cook for 5-6 minutes till the pieces are well cooked and charred at certain places.
Lower the heat, and then add in the onion and bell pepper. Toss for few minutes till slightly tender.
Keep checking if the chicken is soft and once it is, take it off the heat – don’t leave it for too long else it may get overcooked.
Serve hot on a bed of salad leaves.I had put few drops of lime juice in the leaves also to make them slightly tangy.
Avocado Salsa
Mix 1 ripe avocado, 1 Tomato and 1 Onion (all finely chopped), handful of coriander leaves (chopped), 1 tbsp Lime Juice, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for a while.
Garlicky Sour Cream
50gms of sour cream (I had used the Bulla lite sour cream), 4-5 garlic pods (finely chopped), 1 onion finely chopped, 1 tbsp of oil, chopped chives (or spring onion can be used also), salt and pepper.
Sauté the onion and garlic in oil and cool down for sometime. Once cool, mix it with the sour cream and other ingredients. Serve at room temperature.
The above two dips can be used with anything and everything like say homemade tortilla chips, toasts, celery, cucumber or carrot sticks, sausages and salads.
Hope this post helps you to prepare a super simple dish when you are finding it difficult to decide what to make for dinner.
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