Asian Fusion Salad

Asian Fusion salads have been cropping up all over the place and after having versions in two different restaurants I fell in love and decided it was time to take this recipe home!


The beauty of this salad is the balance of the flavors that can be found through many different combinations.   The sweet, the salty, the citrus - it's amazing!  The basis is a bunch of shredded veggies tossed with something sweet, some nuts, a fusion dressing and a protein.  Adding a light cheese or some sliced avocado is always a good idea and a great way to keep this salad vegetarian.


In this version kale is mellowed with lime juice, sweet carrots and apples, marinated chicken breast, and roasted, salted peanuts, but as suggested above feel free to make any desired substitution: for a sweeter salad try tossing in beets or raisins; if you are nuts for nuts, try using raw almonds or something flavored like spiced pepitas or honey roasted peanuts; if you don't like kale even iceberg lettuce will taste good in this mix.  As long as the dressing is kept in line with the same balance of salty, sweet, and acidic, any combination should be great!

Fusion Salad

Ingredients

• 5 Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced/chopped
• 2 sm carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 sm. apple, chopped into strips
• 4 large leaves kale, washed and chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• Roasted salted peanuts as desired
• 1/2 t sesame oil

For the chicken

• 1 lb chicken breasts, cleaned
• 2 T olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 t red pepper
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 T honey
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1 inch ginger, grated

Combine

1. Wash and chop your veggies, place them in a large mixing bowl, toss with the lime juice until covered, then set aside.
2. Trim the chicken, rub with a little oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat then brown the chicken on each side and cook through until internal temperature is 160 degrees.
3. Whisk the red pepper, soy, vinegar, honey, garlic, and ginger. Cut the cooked chicken into slices then toss with the sauce.
4. Top the salad with the chicken and extra sauce.
5. Sprinkle with sesame oil and peanuts and enjoy!