Chicken Caesar Salad

Even Steve gave this a thumbs up vote!

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, pressed through a garlic press

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus about 2 TBSP for croutons)

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)

2 slices multigrain bread (whole wheat works well too)

1 tablespoon olive oil – or olive oil spray

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 medium heads romaine lettuce, cleaned and cut into pieces (or 1 bag, prepared)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, lemon juice, garlic, and Parmesan.

2. Reserve 1/3 cup buttermilk mixture for salad dressing.

3. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in a resealable plastic bag. Add remaining buttermilk mixture. Refrigerate chicken at least 15 minutes and up to 1 day.

4. Meanwhile, make croutons: Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

5. Place bread on prepared baking sheet. Brush with olive oil or spray both sides with olive oil spray. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle both sides with Parmesan cheese.

6. Broil until toasted, about 2 minutes per side; cut into 1-inch pieces (and reserve baking sheet).

7. Transfer chicken to baking sheet; discard marinade. Broil until opaque throughout, 14 to 16 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes; thinly slice crosswise.

8. In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise and reserved buttermilk mixture. Add romaine, chicken, and croutons; toss to combine.

9. Serve immediately.

Prep: 15 minutes Total: 40 minutes

OPTiONAL:

Use your grill for the chicken and even the bread for the croutons!

I used whole wheat Kaiser rolls and a toaster oven to do the croutons this time.

You can prep the chicken up to a day ahead.

The low-fat buttermilk gives the chicken zip and tenderizes the meat. The longer the soak, the softer the chicken.

Better Because: Unlike traditional Caesar salad, this uses no oil in the dressing. Instead,

it relies on tangy low-fat buttermilk.

Multigrain croutons also help save on calories and splurge on flavor.