Tangy Cajun Chicken Salad

This salad is a taste sensation, is easy to prepare and by using your own dressing you ensure that it stays ultra healthy. If ever there was a time to use a high quality free range chicken it's with this one, you will really taste the difference. I would also recommend using those tomatoes that are still attached to the vine, although cherry or plum varieties are a good alternative.

The dressing is considerably easier to make if you have a whizzer. I use a lemon basil in the dressing, but this is tricky to find (I grow my own), a regular basil is fine, but DO NOT be tempted to use dried herbs in this. My last top tip is that if your salad leaves are a little bit tired you can freshen them up by plunging them into a bowl of iced water for 10 minutes before you serve them.

This little beauty takes about 15 minutes and is a wonderful light summer dinner...

Ingredients

• 1 free range chicken breast per person
• A bag of mixed salad leaves
• Good quality olive oil
• Cajun spice mix (from the spice section in the supermarket)

Dressing:

• 1 red chilli
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tblsp of honey
• 2 limes
• 4 tblsp of the olive oil
• A handful of lemon basil
• Salt and pepper

To Serve:

• Shavings of Parmesan cheese

Method:

• Lightly coat the chicken breasts in oil and rub a generous amount of the Cajun spice mix into both sides.
• Put the chicken under a grill at a medium heat. Depending on how thick the breasts are this will take between 10 and 15 minutes to cook. Remember to turn them at the half way point!
• While this is cooking, whizz up the chilli with the garlic
• Add a tblsp of oil to a small pan and get it medium hot
• Fry the mix for a minute or so just to take the edge off the chilli and to mellow the garlic
• Take the mix off the heat, give it a minute to cool slightly and put it back in the whizzer
• Zest the 2 limes and add the bits to the chilli and garlic mix
• Give the limes a quick roll between your palm and the work surface to loosen them up, then cut them in half and juice them straight into the mix
• Add the 4 tblsp of oil and the herbs. You should use the soft stalks as well, but avoid any that are too thick and twig like.
• Microwave your honey jar for 10 seconds to make it a little more runny and add a tablespoon to the mix
• Season well and then blend
• Put a load of the salad leaves into each persons bowl, quarter the tomatoes (or half in the case of cherry toms) and drizzle a generous amount of the dressing over them.
• Mix it all up with your hands and spread out the tomatoes
• To serve take the chicken out, slice it into strips and lay it over the top of the salad
• Shave the Parmesan ( or grate using the big holed side of a grater) and put some over the top of the chicken