I remember the first time I had “Chinese” chicken salad. It was at a trendy West Hollywood spot on Sunset Boulevard, and it could have been/should have been a lot better than it was. Fried noodles only do not a Chinese chicken salad make. In this recipe, textured vegetable protein, or TVP, replaces the noodles for crunch and bite. TVP is made from defatted soy flour, a by-product of making soybean oil. It’s high in protein and low in fat. TVP flakes are available in the health-food aisle of most major supermarkets.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 cup Rockin’ Asian Stir-Fry Sauce (page 210) or store-bought low-fat, low-calorie Asian sauce

　　Juice from 1 lime

　　1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

　　Shredded skinless breast meat from 1 rotisserie or roast chicken

　　4 cups shredded red cabbage

　　4 ounces snow peas, strings removed

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

　　2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

　　6 tablespoons textured vegetable protein (TVP), such as Bob’s Red Mill (optional)

　　

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk together the Asian sauce, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce. Add the shredded chicken, red cabbage, snow peas, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Toss the salad to combine. Chill in the refrigerator until serving time, up to 6 hours.

　　

Step 2

If desired, sprinkle the salad with textured vegetable protein right before serving.

　　

nutrition information

Step 3

Fat: 26.1g (before), 5.5g (after)

　　

Step 4

Calories: 801 (before), 221 (after)

　　

Step 5

Protein: 25g

　　

Step 6

Carbohydrates: 19g

　　

Step 7

Cholesterol: 44mg

　　

Step 8

Fiber: 5g

　　

Step 9

Sodium: 1,424mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.