simply divine chicken lettuce cups

For lunch, Jade and I ordered the Char-grilled Chicken Lettuce Cups. Broiled chicken is mixed into a salad containing crunchy pine nuts, sweet corn, a delicious lemon Dijon dressing , and topped with avocado. The chicken salad is served in velvety lettuce leaves. No need for a fork and knife, you can pick up them up and eat with your fingers.

I enjoyed the healthy Char-grilled Lettuce Cups so much, that I decided to make them myself. It was easy to do since I already have Lisa Vanderpump’s Simply Divine cookbook in my collection. I did make some modifications to the measurements of the ingredients and dressing to lighten the calories a bit.

Simply Divine Chicken Lettuce Cups

Adapted from Simply Divine, Lisa Vanderpump

Serves:8

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup drained canned or fresh corn
• ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted (see below)
• 1 head butter or Bibb lettuce separated into individual large leaves
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Lemon Dijon Dressing

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Position the broiler rack about 6 inches from the source of heat and preheat the broiler. Brush the chicken with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Broil the chicken, turning once, until lightly browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted through the side of a breast half into the center reads 165 degrees F, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool for 10 minutes.
2. To make the dressing, process the lemon juice, sugar, and mustard in a food processor or blender. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil and process until smooth and thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Shred chicken using two forks, or your fingers if you feel like getting dirty. Place in large mixing bowl. Add corn, red onion, and pine nuts. Mix with ½ cup of the dressing.
4. Place 8 lettuce leaves on plate and fills the leaves with equal amounts of the chicken salad and top with the avocado slices. Pass the remaining dressing on the sided.

Toasted Pine Nuts

To toast pine nuts, cook them in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool completely.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 140 g

Amount Per Serving
Calories 349

Calories from Fat 274
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30.5g
Saturated Fat 4.3g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 33mg
Sodium 408mg
Total Carbohydrates 7.8g
Dietary Fiber 2.4g
Sugars 2.7g
Protein 13.3g

Vitamin A 1%•Vitamin C 12%Calcium 1%•Iron 5%
Nutrition Grade C
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet