Sesame chicken salad kick-starts New Year healthy eating

By Diane Lasswell / Special to The Herald

With the New Year, many of us have resoloved to eat more healthfully. I recommend this zesty Sesame Chicken Salad, a recent addition to the menu at The Landing at Quil Ceda Creek Casino. It has rapidly become a guest favorite at The Q, and I’m pleased to share our recipe with Herald readers.

Healthy does not have to mean boring, and this dish makes a delicious standout for lunch or dinner year-round. Take your tastebuds for a ride with our sesame-ginger dressing topping; low calorie chicken tenders or breasts; a healthy mix of crunchy iceberg lettuce, green and red cabbage, carrots, onions, radishes and cilantro; and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.

It includes several sources of natural fiber, ingredients that may lower cholesterol, plant protein (sesame seeds), ginger and sesame (which may reduce inflammation), and daikon radish, which may aid the body in fighting viral infections. Though we can’t claim this is an FDA-approved salad, its ingredients have been mainstays of healthy cooking traditions for centuries.

Here’s to good healthy 2023 and new culinary journeys!

Sesame chicken salad

For the sesame-ginger dressing:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (add or reduce to taste preference)

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well (or in a bowl and whisk) to combine. The dressing should be used or refrigerated immediately after preparation; refrigerated for no more than 4-5 days. The dressing can be enjoyed over other salads, as a marinade, in stir fry recipes or as a dip.

For the marinated chicken tenders:

4 ounces chicken tenders or chicken breasts per serving

¼ cup sesame-ginger dressing per serving

Seasoning to taste. We use a mix of salt, pepper and garlic powder

Pat dry the chicken and season it with salt and pepper. Place it in a Ziploc-type bag and add the dressing; marinate a minimum of 3-5 hours, though overnight is best for more flavor.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Allow chicken to cool for 15-20 minutes in refrigerator.

For the salad (amounts are for one serving):

5 ounces chopped Iceberg lettuce

2 ounces shredded cabbage

1 ounce julienned carrots

1 ounce julienned daikon radishes

2 ounces julienned red peppers

2 ounces julienned onions

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon cilantro

3 ounces sesame-ginger dressing (recipe above)

4 ounces cold, marinated sliced chicken

Toss, without dressing, the lettuce, shredded cabbage, carrots and daikon radishes. Place on the center of a plate (use a square Asian-style plate if you have one).

Evenly distribute remaining veggies over the lettuce mix, top with chicken (topped with just a spoonful of dressing on just the chicken) and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with the sesame- ginger dressing dressing can be drizzled or served on the side, for you to use as much or as little as you wish)

With over 35 years’ experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, Diane Lasswell is the assistant director of kitchen operations at the new Quil Ceda Creek Casino. She oversees and executes the menu at dining choices throughout the casino including The Landing, the food hall at The Kitchen, and the Keg Bar.