Eggless Chicken Caesar Salad (20 minute meal)

Skip the high-fat creamy bottled dressings or raw eggs, and get the same tangy flavor you love in Caesar salads with a vinegarette-based dressing. This salad is robust enough to serve on its own, but it can be paired with soup or a side of whole wheat pasta for a heartier meal. 

Shortcuts: Halve prep time (but lose some of the texture and flavor of fresh) by using a pre-washed package of Caesar Salad lettuce mix, rotisserie chicken, and 1 tsp of bottled minced garlic.

You can find anchovy paste with the tomato paste in your supermarket. Try it, even if you don't like anchovies - it adds a distinctly "caesar" flavor to the dressing, but it's not fishy.

Eggless Chicken Caesar Salad (adapted from Cooking Light, November 2011)

(serves 3 as a main course)

Ingredients:

1/2 a french bread baguette, cut into small squares

olive oil spray (optional)

2 (8-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

black pepper

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste

6 cups (3 hearts) chopped romaine lettuce

2 cups (1/2 head) of radicchio lettuce

1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan 

1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for nine minutes, or until lightly toasted.

3. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill on a panini grill/foreman for about 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Alternatively, heat a grill pan over high heat. Coat the pan with olive oil spray, and cook the chicken for 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from the pan, let stand 5 minutes, and slice. 

4. Whisk together 1/4 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, and next four ingredients (through anchovy paste) in a large bowl. Add romaine and radicchio to bowl and toss to coat. Plate the lettuce mixture and top each serving with chicken, handful of croutons, and sprinkling of cheese. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top of each serving.