Grilled Chicken and Watercress Salad with Canadian Bacon

• Recipe by James Boyce

The Good News This dish offers a fitness-minded mix of lean chicken and calcium-packed watercress. Canadian bacon, with just a fraction of the calories and fat of bacon, gives the salad a slightly sweet and salty flavor.

Ingredients

1. 2 garlic cloves, minced
2. 1 teaspoon minced rosemary
3. 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
4. Freshly ground pepper
5. Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6. 1/2 cup diced whole wheat bread (1/2-inch)
7. 1 1/2 ounces Canadian bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice (1/2 cup)
8. 1/4 cup golden raisins
9. 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
10. 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
11. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
12. Salt
13. Two 6-ounce bunches of watercress, thick stems discarded
14. 1/4 cup walnut pieces

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large dish, combine the garlic with the rosemary, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Spread the diced bread on a pie plate and bake for 5 minutes. In a small nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Add the Canadian bacon and raisins and cook over moderately high heat until the bacon is browned, 1 minute. Transfer to a small plate. Add 1 tablespoon of the vinegar to the skillet, then scrape it onto the plate.
3. In a small bowl, mix the mustard with the lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
4. Season the chicken with salt and grill over a hot fire until lightly charred and just cooked, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a carving board.
5. In a large bowl, combine the watercress, walnuts, croutons, Canadian bacon and raisins. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Cut each breast into 3 crosswise pieces on the bias. Mound the salad on plates, top with the chicken and serve.

Notes

One Serving 433 cal, 20 gm fat, 2.8 gm saturated fat, 18 gm carb, 3 gm fiber.