In the past two weeks I have begun to maintain a healthy diet of food low in sugar and carbohydrates with an increase of my protein.  Eating healthy is not as easy as it sounds; if it were everyone would be doing it.  Grocery shopping can be a task but as long as I stay on the perimeter of the store I am safe to shop freely.  Of course, that is after I exclude the bakery section.  Salads have become a main staple for my meals and the Caesar salad is now one of my favorites.

Caesar salad is quick and simple to make but can still be a satisfying meal.  Here are my two favorite recipes.  There is my regular calorie Caesar Salad and my low calorie salad.  My salads are not made with homemade dressings but that is something you may decide to do.

Ingredients Regular Calorie Caesar:

• 1 Chicken Roaster
• 1 large head of Romaine lettuce
• 1 handful of Craisins or more depending on your taste
• 1 large red apple
• Caesar Salad dressing (your favorite)
• 2T shredded Parmesan cheese
• Lawry’s Season Salt
• Black Pepper
• Garlic powder or fresh
• Croutons

Ingredients Low Calorie Caesar:

•  1 Chicken Roaster
• 1 large head of Romaine lettuce
• 1 palm full of sliced almonds or to taste
• 4-6 strawberries
• 2T grated Parmesan Cheese
• Low Calorie Caesar dressing
• Lawry’s Season Salt
• Black Pepper
• Garlic powder or fresh

Method

After cleaning your whole chicken create a rub with the seasoned salt, black pepper and garlic.  Coat the chicken with the rub very well and place the chicken in a roasting pan.  Bake the chicken at 325-350 degrees with the skin on so the chicken will be moist and juicy.  It is not necessary to cover the chicken with aluminum foil either and as long as it’s on this low setting it should not burn.

Let the chicken bake for two and a half hours or until the juice runs clear. Your chicken may have a pop up thermometer in it to tell you when it is done.   If there isn’t a thermometer, or you don’t have one, the best place to check chicken to tell if it’s done is between the thigh and the body.  If the juice is running clear without any traces of blood your bird is done.  If you prefer not to get your hands messy; the nearest grocer sells rotisserie chickens for about $7 and will do the trick just fine.

After rinsing your large Romaine lettuce slice or chop it to your preference.  If the lettuce looks a bit dry before rinsing it off leave a small amount of excess water on the leaves.  The lettuce will absorb the water bringing it back to crispy life.  Slice the apple thinly or dice it and add it to your salad along with the Craisins.  Depending on how soon you will be eating slicing the apple just before eating the salad may be a good idea because apples have a tendency to brown after being sliced.  Mix the shredded parmesan and regular Caesar dressing with the rest of the salad and place the croutons on top. 

If the low calorie salad is your preferred choice then chop the strawberries coarsely and combine them with the lettuce, almonds and low calorie dressing.  For some, the strawberries may seem like a very different approach but the sweet/tangy flavor is refreshing, not to mention adds nice color to the salad.  Sprinkle the grated parmesan across the top and you are ready to serve it as soon as the chicken is done.

Once the chicken is finished pull the meat off of the bone and pile it onto the salad.  These salads can be used without the chicken to make a nice side dish or as a dinner meal.  It is tasty and I do not think you will be disappointed.