In my last post, 3 Common Mistakes Busy Women Make About Lunch, I talked about how eating a balanced lunch goes a long way to reducing your stress levels. I also promised to give you a simple lunch recipe.
Here it is! This is the easiest, most delicious & balanced salad I can recommend for lunch or a fast dinner. (And one of my favorites!)
It only requires a knife to cut and slice the avocado – which is optional since you can easily scoop out the avocado half with your spoon. Everything else can be thrown together. I recommend putting this together the night before.
I made this the other day when I had a friend over for lunch. It was perfect.
A few notes about the ingredients and stocking your kitchen/pantry.
- The following should always be in your kitchen – a bag of mixed salad greens, pumpkin seeds, Bragg’s apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, & frozen 3 oz. portions of shredded or chopped chicken.
- When in season, I like to keep cherry tomatoes on the counter. (We grow them in our garden so there is always a constant supply).
- I like to buy 2 – 3 avocados every week. Avos are a little tricky because it requires a little planning. I try to buy a ripe one and some unripe ones. I give you some tricks to picking the perfect avocado here.
- Rotisserie Chicken is my go to ‘fast food’. I have the luxury of having 2 grocery stores nearby that have organic rotisserie chicken.
- Be sure to check the ingredients of the rotisserie chicken – a classic roast, should just have salt & pepper. Some may have other spices like paprika. Avoid any with artificial color or flavors.
- I store the leftovers in 3 oz portions and put them in freezer. I take out what I need the night before and put it in fridge. To be honest, I usually let the container sit submerged in cold water for 1 hour to take the frost off while we eat dinner.
- You’ll notice I leave the skin on. The skin provides a wonderful source of saturated fats. I would only recommend this if it’s organic (toxins are stored in fat). The salad in the picture was with fresh rotisserie chicken. The skin loses its appeal for me if not hot & crispy. I don’t leave the skin on when freezing leftovers.
Mixed Green Salad with Chicken, Tomatoes, Avocado & Pumpkin Seeds
Serves 1
2 handfuls of mixed baby salad greens
3 oz. organic rotisserie chicken, skin on(if organic and fresh/crispy)
6-8 cherry tomatoes (optional)
½ avocado, sliced
1 tbsp. pumpkin seeds
Dressing
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste.
Directions:
- Put everything but the dressing into a ‘to go’ container. I like to put the heavy stuff on the bottom and the greens on top to keep them from wilting.
- In a small container, add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Shake to mix well. Pour over salad in the morning or right before eating.
To learn more about stress-reducing recipes and strategies, join me for the Fall Harvest. It starts Friday, October 9, 2015.