A different kind of chicken salad : Lite and healthy low-cal yumminess

 I am always experimenting with dishes that traditionally use mayo and love finding ways to make them taste just as satisfying but with far less calories and unique preparations.  This chicken salad is so easy and fast to make and packs a good amount of protein.  Use it as a side dish at a summer BBQ, over a bed of raw kale or mixed greens or as is.

What you'll need:

Skinless cooked chicken- you can use any part of the chicken you like. This was a whole chicken roasted on our Big Green Egg the night before.  I used the meat left on the carcass after carving.  It is mostly breast and thigh meat. You can purchase chicken breasts and grill them or roast them in the oven and shred apart after cooling. We purchased this whole chicken from an organic chicken farmer we found at the Chester, CT Farmer's Market on Sunday.

2 Heirloom Tomatoes- You don't have to use heirlooms but I love the taste of them. You can use any kind of tomato you like, organic or home grown is always preferable.

4 Radishes
 1/2 Medium sized red onion
 Bunch of chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped celery 1 stick (optional)
1 tbsp of an organic homemade jam of your choice

I know adding jam sounds weird, but it's a great alternative to mayo or yogurt. Preferably,  use a jam made with a natural sugar such as pure cane sugar, stevia, coconut sugar or agave.  I used a mango-habanero jam that gave this dish a little kick. Use a jam that contains vegetables or fruits you would use in a salad dressing. This is where your personal taste can make this an interesting and creative dish. Experiment with different jams to completely change the essence of this salad every time.

Other jam flavor ideas: raspberry, hot pepper, red pepper, mango, peach, lemon, orange, garlic.


 How to make it:



Shred chicken and place in a bowl. Remove seeds from tomatoes and dice. Finely chop your parsley. Slice your radishes  and red onion thinly. Mix all together and add Worcestershire , oil and vinegar.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Add jam and stir it all up. that's it! Super easy, low cal and delicious. Enjoy!