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Tarragon Chicken with Baby Spinach

Tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds, is a favourite ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. Available at most large grocery stores, it adds a nutty taste and thick creaminess to the dressing for this nutritious tarragon chicken and baby spinach salad.

Directions

Place the chicken in a shallow pan and pour over the stock. Remove the tarragon leaves from the stalks and set them aside. Lightly crush the stalks with a rolling pin to release their oils, then add to the pan. Remove a small strip of rind from the lemon and add this to the pan with the peppercorns.
Set the pan over medium heat and bring the stock to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer gently. Cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is white all the way through.
Remove the chicken breasts using a slotted spoon and leave to cool on a plate. Strain the stock into a cup and discard the tarragon stalks, lemon rind and peppercorns. Set the stock aside. When the chicken has cooled, cut it into thick strips.
Place the tahini in a bowl and whisk in 5 tablespoons of the reserved stock to make a smooth, creamy dressing. If the dressing is a bit thick, add an extra tablespoon of stock. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and stir it into the dressing. Chop enough of the tarragon leaves to make 1 tablespoon, and add to the dressing with pepper to taste.
Cut the endive across on the diagonal into slices 1 cm thick. Arrange the endive and baby spinach in a large salad bowl.
Peel the oranges, then cut between the membrane into segments. Scatter the segments over the salad, followed by the toasted almonds. Place the tarragon chicken strips on top, and spoon over the tahini tarragon dressing. Serve immediately.

preparation time 15 mins
cooking time 20 mins
serves 4

Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader's Digest Canada

Ingredients 300 g chicken breasts
2⁄3 cup reduced-salt chicken or vegetable stock
1 small bunch fresh tarragon
1 small lemon
3 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons tahini
pepper to taste
1 head endive, about 150 g
150 g baby spinach
2 oranges
1⁄2 cup flaked almonds, toasted

Nutritional Information

PER SERVING

278 calories
23 g protein
17 g total fat
2 g saturated fat
50 mg cholesterol
8 g total carbohydrate
8 g sugars
4 g fibre
297 mg sodium

Chicken is an excellent source of protein and provides many B vitamins. Removing the skin reduces the fat content considerably, as most of the fat in chicken lies directly beneath the skin.

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