Sunday Edition: Buffalo Chicken Salad w/ Blue Cheese Dressing

My last few Sunday posts have been driven by my sweet tooth, so today I figured I'd feature something a little more savory. Today's recipe comes from Clean Eating Magazine, which I absolutely adore. There are so many great tips for eating healthy and seasonally, and I've found some of my all-time favorite recipes between the covers. Obviously, the focus is on eating food that is as close to its natural state ("clean") as possible without any preservatives or other additives. For me, there is nothing better than taking a bite of something fantastic that I know is fresh and good for me. I highly recommend this publication to anyone who wants to watch what kind of food they put into their bodies.

The Buffalo Chicken Salad w/ Blue Cheese Dressing has definitely become a go-to recipe of mine, especially when I make the chicken ahead of time. When the heat starts to rise, I begin enjoying salads even more because standing in a hot kitchen for an hour or more is not something I'm as willing to do. Luckily, this salad tastes amazing! The blue cheese dressing uses Greek yogurt so the texture is a lot thicker and creamier. Adding paprika and chili powder to the chicken before broiling definitely gives it a kick. As with any salad, you can easily substitute any veggies to suit your taste preferences. I love how the carrots and grape tomatoes make the salad really pop with color. This is a great salad to have on a summer afternoon, and with less than 300 calories for the plate it leaves room to enjoy a delicious after dinner dessert or margarita!

Buffalo Chicken Salad w/ Blue Cheese Dressing

    recipe from Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients
-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-Olive oil cooking spray
-1 tsp smoked paprika
-1 tsp chili powder
-1/8 tsp sea salt
-1/2 sweet onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
-1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
-5 tbsp low-fat buttermilk
-1 to 1 1/2 tbsp all-natural hot sauce
-1 head romaine lettuce, thick spines removed, chopped
-1 head red leaf lettuce, thick spines removed, chopped
-1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
-1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
-1 cup peeled and shredded carrots
-2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions:

Preheat broiler to high. Place chicken on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly mist chicken with cooking spray and sprinkle evenly on both sides with paprika, chili powder and salt. Broil 6 to 8 inches from heat until center of chicken is no longer pink, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before cutting into bite-size chunks.

In a blender, puree onion, yogurt, buttermilk and 1 tbsp hot sauce. Taste and add remaining hot sauce if you want more heat. Divide romaine and red leaf lettuces among 4 plates and top with bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots, and chicken, dividing each evenly. Serve yogurt mixture on the side or drizzle evenly over each plate. Sprinkle with blue cheese and serve immediately.