Chopped Chinese Chicken Salad

Me on our wedding day

So wedding season is around the corner and I am at that age where there are at least five weddings a year.  There's one coming up in three weeks actually!  Our stepsister Jess is getting married at the end of April!  Naturally, this leads to a period of crazy dieting in order to fit into my dress or leave some room in that dress to have cake at the wedding.  This time last year, I was a little over a month out from my own wedding, which meant crazy eye twitches and trying to do the Dukan diet to be as tiny as possible.  I lasted about a week on that crazy Dukan diet.  I ended up dreaming of carbs and fantasizing about a giant bowl of fruit.  When all I was thinking about was eating an apple, I knew it was time to start something a little more sane.  Namely, eat less; move more.  I brought more salads into my diet and, thank God, some fruit.  On my wedding day, while I wasn't inhaling the bread basket, I definitely enjoyed my meal.  

So, for all you wedding dieters out there, here is a good salad to add to your diet dining list!  Its tangy and sweet with the peanut dressing.  You can even eliminate the rice crackers to make it even healthier!  Enjoy!! 

Chopped Chinese Chicken Salad

• 3 heads of romaine (chopped) 
• 1 medium red cabbage (chopped)
• 1 large red onion (chopped)
• 2 large cucumber (chopped)
• 1 box rice crackers  
• 1 pound chicken fillets
• 2 limes 
• sesame oil
• soy sauce
• peanut butter
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Meanwhile, marinate the chicken in soy sauce and sesame oil.  

Chop romaine, red cabbage, onion, and cucumber and set aside in a large bowl.  

Once oven is preheated take chicken out of marinade and coat with a little peanut butter and salt and pepper.  Wrap in tin foil and bake for approximately 15 minutes.  This step will vary with the size of your chicken.  Cut into a piece to check if it's done after 15 minutes.  If not, put back into the oven until it is cooked through.
  

While chicken is cooking, in a small bowl mix 1/4 cup sesame oil, 1/8 cup of soy sauce, and 1/8 cup of peanut butter, crushed red pepper and salt and pepper to taste.  

Toss salad with the dressing.  Once chicken is done chop into small pieces and add to the salad.  Crush rice crackers on top.