PEAR, SPINACH AND HAZELNUT CHICKEN SALAD, Almost Instant, vegetarian option, leftovers,

Take advantage of the lovely glossy spinach leaves and crisp juicy pears now available in supermarkets

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

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

As good for you as this recipe is, Chicken, Pear & Hazlenut Salad is delicious in a beautifully understated way.  The sweet crisp 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 knows 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 removed by peeling; the taste and texture of the final result are so much better.  

Cost: min £1.50'ish, more if you have to buy cooked chicken 
Serves: 1

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

Dressing:   

   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 big on flavour; a small amount goes a long way
• if carbs are required, serve with fresh easy-peasy almost instant bagels

                              More summer salads on Nav Bar/RecipesII/Salads...

Please leave a Comment in the box below 

    

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.