15-Minute Turkey Chef's Salad - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

healthy food tip and recipe
June 26, 2013

Today's Recipe

If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

Add this great tasting Mediterranean-style salad to your Healthiest Way of Eating. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare, and you will enjoy a rich concentration of health-promoting nutrients.

15-Minute Turkey Chef's Salad

Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb mixed salad greens
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves torn into pieces
• 3/4 lb sliced turkey breast
• 1 small jar of prepared roasted peppers (about 7 oz)
• 4 oz Kalamata olives
• 1 1/2 basket cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 medium avocado, cut into cubes
• *optional 4 oz goat cheese
• 
  
• Dressing
• 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry salad greens. Drying is best done in a salad spinner.
2. Divide the greens and rest of ingredients equally on 4 plates.
3. Top with goat cheese, if desired.
4. Whisk together vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper and drizzle on top of salad.

Serves 4 Printer Friendly Version of 15-Minute Turkey Chef's Salad
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for 15-Minute Turkey Chef's Salad
Healthy Food Tip

Are the outside leaves of romaine lettuce better for you than the hearts?

No, the outside leaves of romaine lettuce are not significantly better for you than the hearts. There are many varieties of romaine lettuce found in the marketplace. Some of these varieties are selected for their special ability to produce a true "heart" with a core group of younger leaves. Other varieties are selected for their more uniform development of a lettuce head. All varieties of romaine lettuce are healthy and nourishing. I greatly encourage purchase of organic lettuce, however, in order to avoid unwanted pesticide residues in the lettuce and to optimize the nutrient content. It's worth pointing out that the romaine hearts are usually more durable, will last longer in your refrigerator and stay fresh for a longer period of time than the outer leaves.
One difference that you can often notice between the outer leaves of romaine lettuce and the hearts is their shade of green. Since the outer leaves have more exposure to sunlight, they will develop more chlorophyll than the hearts, and you will see this additional chlorophyll reflected in a richer shade of green. (The hearts still contain plenty of chlorophyll—just less than the outer leaves.) Chlorophyll is a pigment with definite health-supportive properties, although I have yet to see any research that suggests the amount of chlorophyll found in the outer leaves of romaine lettuce is more health-supportive than the amount found in the hearts.
For more information on this topic see:

• Romaine lettuce