Fall Recipe: Cranberry Apple Harvest Time Chicken Salad

The flavors of the harvest come together in this zesty and delicious chicken salad. Citrus, apples, spinach and cranberries bring the taste of fall to your table, and the light, flavorful dressing kicks everything up a notch, and without a lot of calories. Visit your local farmer's market and pick up some fresh ingredients for this tasty salad recipe!

Cranberry Apple Harvest Time Chicken Salad
(Serves 4-6.)

Dressing Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 oranges, zested and juiced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp coarse ground mustard
1 to 2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 small garlic clove, grated

Salad Ingredients:

6-8 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup diced celery
2 medium apples, ripe but crispy, washed, cored, and diced
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted pecans

Directions:

1. Into a glass bowl, measure 2 teaspoons orange zest, then add the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, salt, black pepper, and garlic, and whisk until combined.
2. Keep whisking and slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of the orange juice, whisking until dressing is smooth and comes together.
3. To assemble salads, place spinach in a large salad bowl.
4. Add all the remaining salad ingredients, then drizzle dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all the ingredients.
5. Serve immediately.

Recipe - Healthy Asian Chicken Salad

Here is a delicious and healthy chicken salad recipe, full of protein, fiber, and antioxidant-rich veggies. The tangy Asian-style dressing is a healthy change from the typical creamy dressings, and will delight your taste buds with lemon, honey, and a touch of peanut butter. Makes a great lunch or light supper.

Chicken Salad (Photo credit: DaveOnFlickr)Healthy Asian Chicken Salad
(Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side.)

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 can (14oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14oz) corn, rinsed and drained
½ cup cucumber, diced
1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

Dressing:
3 tbsp peanut butter (creamy)
¼ cup fresh parsley
1/3 extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
Place chicken, tomatoes, black beans, corn, cucumber and chopped lettuce into a large salad bowl and combine.

Add all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour over the chicken salad mixture, and toss. Serve with warm pita bread if desired.