Here’s a quick summer salad. Sweet mangoes, roasted chicken and a tangy dressing provide contrasting flavors. It’s the best time of year to buy mangoes throughout the United States.
Buy roasted chicken breast in the cooked meat case or deli for the salad. No cooking is needed for this dinner.
Cucumbers cut into cubes mixed with red kidney beans and tossed with salad dressing complete this simple summer meal.
The mangoes are cut into cubes for the salad. Here is a quick way to do that:
Slice off each side of the mango as close to the seed as possible. Take the mango half in your hand, skin side down. Score the fruit in a crisscross pattern through to the skin. Bend the skin backwards so the cubes pop up. Slice the cubes away from the skin. Score and slice any fruit left on the pit.
Tangy Chicken and Mango Salad
1/4 cup reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
3/4 pound roasted chicken breast, skin and bones removed
2 mangoes (to make 2 cups cubes)
4 cups washed, ready-to-eat salad greens
2 ripe tomatoes, quartered (about 2 cups)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix dressing and horseradish together. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Cut mango cubes. Divide lettuce between 2 dinner plates. Place chicken and mango cubes over lettuce. Add tomato quarters. Drizzle dressing over the chicken and mango. Sprinkle scallion on top. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Yield 2 servings.
Cucumber and Bean Salad
1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into cubes (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups rinsed and drain reduced-sodium red kidney beans
1/4 cup reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place cucumber and red kidney beans in a bowl and toss well. Add the dressing and salt and pepper to taste. Toss again.
Yield 2 servings.