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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Moroccan Chicken Salad With Carrots

It's fitting that this recipe comes from Real Simple magazine, as it is indeed real simple! Lucky for me, because the day we had this for dinner I was absolutely starving and in no mood to putz around in the kitchen! My only disappointment in this meal came when I opened the crisper drawer in my fridge only to find a rather sad looking bunch of cilantro. We used what we could of the herb, but I don't feel like we got a true taste of what the cilantro does to the taste and flavor of this main-dish salad. I plan to try it again, fresh cilantro included, soon. But if you don't like cilantro or don't have much on hand, I can attest that this salad was a win without it.

The dressing has a nice little kick from the crushed red pepper, but it's such a small amount that the flavor doesn't overwhelm with every bite. I haven't put raisins on salad in a long time (typically my salads include craisins), but I welcomed the slightly less sweet dried fruit. The various elements of the salad worked well together and both my husband Ryan and I were pleased with the outcome. Eaten with some crackers or whole-grain bread, this makes for a healthy, wholesome lunch or dinner!


One Year Ago: Whole Wheat Bread


Moroccan Chicken Salad with Carrots
from Real Simple March 2010


Ingredients:
-5 tbsp olive oil
-8 small chicken cutlets
-1 tsp ground cumin
-kosher salt & pepper
-3 tbsp lime juice
-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
-5 oz. baby spinach
-2 cups cilantro leaves
-4 carrots, peeled into strips
-1/2 cup raisins

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cook chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through (approximately 2 minutes per side). Remove from skillet and cut into strips.
2. Whisk together lime juice, red pepper, 3 tbsp oil, and 1/2 tsp salt in a small bowl.
3. Toss chicken, spinach, cilantro, carrots, and raisins with the dressing in a large bowl. Divide amongst plates.

This content was originally posted on Honest Cooking in my featured column "Cooking the Magazines".