Crunchy. Asian. Salad. The recipe's in here!
Well, January is off to the races and I didn't email you last week... so I am hoping to make it up to you by sending you this super delicious and healthy salad recipe!
The truth is, as you might expect, January is a busy time of year for me! I am helping several women take control of their fitness and nutrition and make sure they can prioritize their health no matter what else is going on in their lives - and I couldn't be more thrilled!!!
In fact, yesterday I was celebrating with one of my clients who started with me just before Christmas and has lost 1 1/2 inches from both her waist and her hips, and 3/4 of an inch at her chest! No restriction, no ridiculous workouts - just consistent action that is integrity with the woman she wants to be. She's seen some changes on the scale (about ~5lbs between her lowest and highest weigh in) but the really exciting part is that she FEELS better and she can keep going! She's not looking for an out or a reason to stop. There is no better feeling than taking action towards something we want and seeing that action PAY OFF!!!
The feeling of accomplishment...
It's all about self efficacy - which is your belief in your capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific outcomes - and without self efficacy you will be trapped inside a uncooperative body and lack luster results forever.
Self efficacy IS the magic pill. And it's a major keystone of coaching. If you need help building your self efficacy I encourage you to join these woman and apply to work with me. Who knows how different things could be for you in just a few short months.
Crunchy Asian Salad with Pulled Chicken
Ok, now I'm going to give you what you're really here for - the recipe! I love the ease of this recipe and I highly recommend you prep all of your veggies and just throw them into containers because then you can eat this salad for multiple meals all week long. It's fresh and delicious, and I find it to be very satisfying.
I like "cheating" a bit and buying pre chopped garlic and ginger, so I don't have to take extra time to prep those for the dressing.
You'll notice something unusual about this recipe - I don't offer amount for the ingredients. That's because this is more of a recipe template than a recipe. It's a suggestion, really. You could choose to include whatever veggies you like and skip the ones you don't - and maybe add others that appeal to you! How much you need depends on how many servings you'll be making.
For the dressing, I like to keep it open ended as well. I just sort of eyeball it and it comes out well every time. In a traditional vinaigrette the oil to vinegar ratio is three parts oil to one part vinegar/acid, but this ratio can vary depending on your choice of vinegar/acid and personal taste. The less acidic the vinegar/acid, the less oil you need. Therefore I usually keep it to 1/2 teaspoon of oil per serving and go heavier on the other liquids (orange juice, coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar). Some lime juice would probably be a good addition as well! Go easy on the chili garlic paste unless you like it SPICY! This can get pretty hot fast. I'd stick to 1/2 teaspoon to start with and see how you like it from there.
The Recipe
Crunchy Asian Salad with Pulled Chicken:
Purple cabbage, sliced thin
Shredded carrots
Snap Peas, diced
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Radish, sliced
Cucumber, diced
Red or orange bell pepper, diced
Scallions, sliced thin
Chicken breast (~ 1/4 lbs per serving)
Optional Add Ons:
Avocado
Rice or quinoa
Peanuts
Sesame seeds
Dressing:
Juice of one orange
Coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
Rice wine vinegar
Garlic, chopped
Ginger, grated
Honey
Garlic Chili Paste
Sesame oil
Directions:
Prepare all of the raw vegetables as described in the ingredients list. I recommend paying attention to
For the chicken: place the trivet in the bottom of the instant pot and add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom.
Place your chicken breasts on top of the trivet. Set to high pressure and cook for ~10 minutes per pound of chicken breast. If you chicken breasts are larger than 4 ounces each you may need to add some additional time.
Once finished the chicken should be tender enough to pull apart/ shred with two forks. It will have needed to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Alternatively, you can boil the chicken on the stove until it is tender enough and has reached that temperature.
For the dressing: combine all the ingredients together in a mason jar or container and shake until well combined.
Combine the veggies, chicken, and dressing together in a bowl.
Optional: to add more fat add some crunchy toppings like avocado, chopped peanuts, or sesame seeds. To add more carbs throw in some rice or quinoa.
Healthy Nutrition With Ease
Letting good nutrition be an extension of your life, your food preferences, and your culture is a HUGE part of my mission at ABFN.
This isn't something that can happen overnight, or with a meal plan. It takes practice, learning, trial and error... but when you finally reach a place where you can identify which foods work for you, how much you need of them, how to automatically build healthy meals for yourself and create a food environment that not only supports your body, but also supports your lifestyle - MAN, is that payoff WORTH THE EFFORT.