A simple recipe for Asian chicken salad

That old-fashioned chicken salad has adopted a new-fashioned Asian accent. Grilled chicken is tossed with a healthy mix of oranges, scallions, snow peas, and lychees and is then crowned with a drizzle of creamy peanut dressing.

• Preparation time: 20 minutes.
• Cooking time: 10 minutes.
• Serves 4

Ingredients:

Salad

• 500 g (1 lb) romaine lettuce
• 125 g (4 oz) snow peas
• 1 can (600–650 g/20 oz) lychees, drained and cut in half
• 1 large navel orange, peeled and cut into sections
• 1 red plum, pitted and sliced
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 350 g (12 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Dressing

• 75 ml (1/3 c) nonfat mayonnaise
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) creamy reduced-sodium peanut butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:

1. Finely shred romaine and put into large salad bowl. Trim snow peas and remove strings with fingers. Cut snow peas in half on the diagonal and add to salad bowl. Add lychees, orange, plum, and scallions; toss to mix.
2. Coat nonstick ridged grill pan with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat until hot, about two minutes. Grill chicken breasts until cooked through, about four minutes on each side.
3. Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, peanut butter, and garlic in a small measuring cup until dressing is blended. Diagonally cut chicken into thin slices and add to salad bowl. Right before serving, drizzle the salad with dressing and toss to coat.

• Lychees are a tropical fruit that originated in southern China but have since gone international. Peel the skin and you discover a juicy, translucent flesh not unlike a grape, but sweeter.
• Lychees have a relatively short growing season, so you'll only find them fresh in stores around springtime, sold in large clusters. Canned versions are available year-round.
• Lychees are high in vitamin C and potassium.

Each serving provides:

• Key nutrients: 330 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 27 g protein, 41 g carbohydrates, 7 g fibre, 230 mg sodium.
• Blood pressure nutrients: 171 mg vitamin C, 79 mg magnesium, 1071 mg potassium, 102 mg calcium.

• This salad works with many types of cooked lean meat and seafood. In place of the chicken, grill the same amount of boneless lamb, turkey breast, pork tenderloin, or beef, or large peeled shrimp.
• Use spinach leaves in place of the romaine.

Keep this recipe in mind for a simple dinner that will quickly become a family favourite.