Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad and Dressing, a gluten free and low carb dinner in under 30 minutes

When life is busy and I need something fast,  I make this Low Carb Chicken Caesar Salad for dinner. 

It's elegant and ridiculously good. I could eat it every night. I love it that much.

Sometimes I wonder, if it wasn't for my gluten intolerance, would I bother to make everything from scratch? Probably not! Even though I've always loved to cook, I might still be eating processed foods.

I'm happy that I'm eating healthier than I ever have in my life, but that means a lot of cooking and I do get tired of it sometimes. Don't you?  So, what's the bonus?

Well, the house smells great with the aromas of cooking, my family smiles a lot, we save money, we sit together and enjoy a healthy meal, we talk,  and I get to eat  without the worry of cross contamination.  Huge bonuses!!!  

Plus it tastes a million times better when you make your meals fresh at home. The salad dressing is amazing! I make a double batch and use it for days. It's wonderful as a dip too! 

With just a few simple ingredients you can enjoy a restaurant quality dinner in under 30 minutes and you will know that it's truly gluten free.  Save your tummy and get a little skinnier with a low carb salad for dinner tonight!

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Serves 4

Salad Ingredients:

• 4 fresh or defrosted chicken thighs or breasts
• 1 head of organic romaine lettuce, wash, dry and tear 
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• gluten free low carb croutons- see note below
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• gluten free garlic powder
• olive oil for pan

Dressing Ingredients:  Mix together ahead of time and chill until needed. 

• 1 teaspoon gluten free Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire
• 1 cup gluten free full fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice or more to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• a dab of anchovy paste, opt
• dash of milk or water to thin to desired consistency

Instructions:

1. Wash, dry and tear the romaine in bite size pieces.  Add to a large bowl. I keep mine in fridge until the chicken is ready.
2. Pat chicken with paper towels, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. 
3. Heat grill or large fry pan to medium and add a dash of olive oil. Cook chicken until browned and juices run clear. About 4 minutes per side. Let rest for several minutes and then cut into bite size pieces. 
4.  Add chicken,  Parmesan and croutons, if using to the salad bowl. 
5. Dress salad with 1/2 of the dressing. Add more if too dry. Toss well. Serve the rest of the dressing, additional Parmesan and fresh pepper at the table. 

Note:  Make your own croutons! Toss 2 cups Low Carb Bread cubes with a generous splash of  olive oil and a shake of garlic powder. Bake at 350 in a single layer for 15 minutes or until browned and crisp. Let cool.