QUICK & EASY: CHICKEN, PEAR & HAZELNUT SALAD with Vegetarian Option, Low-fat, low-salt

Cooked chicken makes this supper very quick and easy, and much better than processed food...

Deliciously understated, low-calorie supper dish for a singleton

Fruit, leaves, nuts and cooked protein make a refreshing, satisfying low-calorie meal.

As good for you as this recipe is, Chicken, Pear & Hazlenut Salad is delicious in a beautifully understated way.  The sweet juiciness of ripe pears, crunchy nuts, succulent chicken and soft leaves are generously cloaked in a delicate creamy sauce.  It's main appeal will be female singletons, kids and the older generation but 67 gathers some Australian males also love fruit/protein combos.

Lovely Rocha pears (the fat, dearer ones) were used in this recipe, mainly because they were on sale, but any pear will do. The spinach leaves can be replaced by a soft leafed English lettuce.  For vegetarians, pears, nuts and soft blue Cambazola cheese is a perfect combination. 

Check the pear skins.  Thick skins are unpleasant to eat and need to be peeled; improving the taste and texture of the pears.  

Cost: £1.50
Serves: 1

Ingred:
   handful of washed, de-stemmed spinach OR soft English lettuce
   1/2 large pear, core removed, peeled if necessary
   50-100 gms cooked chicken meat
   2 tablespoons coarsely chopped hazelnuts

   2 tbsp strained yoghurt
   1 tbsp mayonnaise
   1/2 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
   1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (opt)
   pepper & salt

Method:

1. Toast hazelnuts in a frying pan over med heat until light brown
2. Mix yoghurt, mayo, white wine vinegar/lemon juce & light seasoning in a bowl to a pouring consistency; set aside
3. Cut pear into thin vertical slices
4. Shred chicken into long pieces about the same size as pears
5. Heap leaves on a plate
   
6. Arrange pear slices on top in a pinwheel shape with thin end in the middle; sprinkle hazelnuts over, leaving a few for garnish
7. Arrange shredded chicken similarly 
8. Garnish with hazelnuts
9. Generously pour over dressing  

 Tips

• toast double the amount of hazelnuts and store half in an air-right container for next time
• soft blue cheeses are high in fat but high in flavour; a small amount goes a long way
• if carbs are required, serve with square thin organic unsalted wholegrain rice cake thins (Kallo, cheapest at Waitrose) 

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.