HG's Mostly Roasted Salad with Grilled Chicken

A salad packed with veggies and lean protein should not -- we repeat, SHOULD NOT -- have a calorie count as high as the one at California Pizza Kitchen. We HG-ified this salad and give it TWO YUMS UP!

Ingredients:
6 stalks asparagus
2 cups eggplant cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
2 artichoke hearts packed in water, drained, halved lengthwise
One 3-oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast cutlet, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
Dash each salt and black pepper
2 tbsp. frozen sweet corn kernels, thawed
2 tbsp. bagged sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), chopped
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 oz. (about 2 tbsp.) diced avocado
2 tbsp. low-fat or fat-free balsamic vinaigrette
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Lay asparagus, eggplant, bell pepper, and artichoke hearts on the baking sheet. Bake until softened, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a grill pan (or skillet) sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and black pepper and place in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, until cooked through.

Roughly chop asparagus and artichoke hearts. Transfer all cooked veggies to a medium bowl. Add corn and sun-dried tomatoes, and toss to mix.

Place lettuce in a large bowl (or on a large plate) and top with veggie mixture and avocado. Slice chicken and lay it on top.

In a small bowl, thoroughly whisk vinaigrette with mustard. Pour mixture over salad or serve on the side. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

CPK's Roasted Vegetable Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast

How can a salad topped with roasted veggies and grilled chicken NOT be a smart choice? This is the EXACT question we asked ourselves when we laid eyes on the Roasted Vegetable Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast at California Pizza Kitchen. It sounds perfectly light... So what on EARTH makes this entrée so terribly caloric? There's nothing fried or cheesy -- it's basically just leafy greens, roasted veggies, vinaigrette, avocado, and grilled chicken. Our guess? Those veggies are likely tossed in a lot of oil, that vinaigrette is probably packed with fat, and they may have overdone it on the avocado (and pretty much everything else!). And BTW, since CPK doesn't provide the total fat, we used our trusty math skills to figure out the approximate amount. So what's a salad craver to do? Make our swap. And do yourself a favor -- always check menu stats online before dining out. Disaster averted.