I like to make this up on a Sunday and eat on it for a few days for lunch… Sub chicken breasts for tenderloins, cutlets, or thighs. Sub sunflower seeds for pumpkin seeds. Add more seasoning, or less. Make it yours!
Here’s how the ingredients are helpin’ that heart beat (annnd your whole body)…
The chicken provides lean protein to help protect muscles (heart!). The olive oil and avocado oil mayo provide heart healthy fats that can protect heart from damage and improve cholesterol. The grapes provide fiber (complex carbohydrates), vitamin K, anthocyanins (purple color!) and reservatrol that all work together to protect the heart and improve blood flow. Celery provides fiber (complex carbohydrates), folate, potassium, and plant compounds that help to protect the heart. Sunflower seeds are high in magnesium, folate, vitamin E, and heart healthy fat.
Pair it with a glass of iced green tea — Green tea is rich in polyphenols (Catechin: EGCG!) which work to fight off disease and inflammation; green tea has been found to help promote healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, too!
Chicken Salad 2.0
Equipment
- Baking sheet x 2
- Mixing bowl
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breast (2.50-3# chicken equivalent)
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, shelled or raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 cups red, seedless grapes (~ 1/2 bag) halved
- 1 cup celery (~ 4 ribs) thinly sliced
- 1 cup mayonnaise Simple Truth or avocado oil based
- 1/8-1/2 tsp kosher salt, garlic powder, pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Cover baking sheet with parchment paper, place chicken breast on top. Drizzle olive oil over each piece. In small dish, mix kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper together and sprinkle on front and back of each piece. Bake for 25 minutes or, until internal temp. is 165F (no pink!).
- On another baking sheet, pour raw sunflower (or pumpkin) seeds, drizzle 1 tsp. olive oil, and sprinkle 1 tsp. kosher salt. Mix around and spread flat. Bake 6-8 min. (at 400F), until brown and roasted.
- Wash and cut grapes in half. Wash and slice or dice celery.
- In large bowl, add mayo, grapes, celery, and roasted (cooled off!) seeds.
- When chicken is cooked and cooled, cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to large bowl. Stir it up. Add additional seasonings, *flavor to liking. Stir.
- Serve with lettuce, on a tomato, dip with whole grain crackers, plop on whole grain bread, or eat by itself. Cover & refrigerate. Good for 3 days.
Video
Kitchen #SoulWork: Song I’m Listening To & Quote I’m Loving
“Having influence is not about elevating self, but about lifting others.”
Sheri Drew