Not surprisingly, committing to (and following through) on any kind of cleanse can be trying. There is an abrupt change in how we think about food, drink, and meal planning. No more just tossing a bag of nuts into your bag for a long day. You have to be a bit more conscious of what your consuming. The big picture though–cleansing is an incredibly beneficial process, both for your body and mind. You will break free from bad habits and dependencies you may have developed, and you will give your body the opportunity to stop cravings. If you can get through the more trying moments of a cleanse, it is so worth it. This salad really simplifies the cleansing process for me…it is incredibly easy to prepare, fresh, satisfying, and never gets old. If you just keep these salad ingredients and other fresh alkalizing veggies on hand, you’ll always have a perfect way to nourish yourself in times of detox distress.
Serves 1-2
Ingredients
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 T. olive oil
1″ knob of fresh ginger roots, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 lemon cucumber or 1/3 english cucumber
1/2 avocado, cut into 1/2″ pieces
5-6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
2 c. fresh greens (such as watercress, arugula, romaine, butter lettuce) chopped
1 t. fresh lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Drizzle 1 T. olive oil on a skillet on medium heat, add minced ginger and garlic. Once oil is heated, place chicken breast directly on top of the ginger and garlic, and cover to help steam the breast a bit. Cooking time with vary based on how thick the breast is. Cook about 6 minutes until edges appear white, then turn over and cook for another 6 minutes. If the breast is thick, you can slice it in half lengthwise and place insides face down to finish cooking. The breast is done when the inside is completely white with NO raw pink meat. The outside is usually nicely browned, while the inside appears tender and moist. Remove from heat and set aside.
While your chicken is cooking, wash and chop all your fresh vegetables and place in a salad bowl. Drizzle 1 T. olive oil and 1 t. lemon juice over the salad and toss well.
Cut your cooked chicken breast and place on top of salad. Season with salt & pepper to taste, and enjoy!
