It is a salad, but cobb salad was never meant to be a healthful or low-fat dish. Because Ryan Howard is a conscientious eater, however, this version is a lighter version that still packs some punch from the familiar flavors of the original. Use reduced-fat blue cheese and turkey bacon, serve the dressing on the side, and dig into this classic mega-salad.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

　　

Balsamic shallot vinaigrette

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 tablespoons minced shallots

　　

Salad

2 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 8-ounce romaine hearts, washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces

　　2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

　　2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced

　　8 strips turkey bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped

　　2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

　　1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese

　　

Step 1

1 To make the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil. Add the shallots and pulse briefly to combine. Pour into a serving bowl and set aside.

　　

Step 2

2 Pound each chicken breast half between 2 heavy duty plastic bags with a flat meat pounder to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Season with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning halfway through cooking, until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes. Add ¼ cup water, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer until the chicken feels firm when pressed in the center, about 8 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to high, and cook until the liquid is evaporated and the chicken is sizzling, about 1 minute. Transfer chicken to a carving board and let cool. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

　　

Step 3

3 Spread the lettuce on a large platter. Top with the chicken, tomatoes, avocados, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, and blue cheese arranged in rows. Serve immediately, with the vinaigrette passed on the side.

　　Adapted from Diamond Dishes by Julie Loria (Lyons Press/ $24.95) Excerpts copyright 2011 by Julie Loria, with permission of Lyons Press