Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

This was not supposed to be featured on my weekly menu until Wednesday but I had an issue with Meatless Monday's main ingredient, the Spaghetti Squash. WHAT THE HECK? I was going to cause some permanent damage to myself had I continued hacking into this thing. It was solid as a rock and I was sweating and barely made a dent. I just dont get it? I carve pumpkins with the best of them...what's the deal with this darn squash? I am even more curious now to try it. So instead we had this salad that is featured in this month's cooking light magazine

Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

borrowed from Cooking Light April 2011

4 servings

**** 7 Weight Watcher Points Plus****

• 6 cups torn romaine lettuce

• 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast

• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts

• 1 cup shredded carrots

• 3/4 cup sliced celery

• 2/3 cup light coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

• 4 lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper)

in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool for 2 minutes. Pour warm coconut milk mixture over lettuce mixture.

Sprinkle with peanuts; serve with lime wedges, if desired. Serve immediately.

VERDICT: LOVED the dressing. I am already trying to figure out what else I can put it on. I need to figure out the points for the dressing alone, because between the 2 of us, we finished the dressing. The salad just needed it. It was a great salad though, and the dressing was the star of the show. I can imagine the full fat version would make me shudder but this is a great alternative. Next time I will leave out the bean shoots, I liked them cooked up in lomein, but in the salad they were just bleh. And I might saute or grill some chicken with some seasonings instead of using rotisserie which I am always a fan of, but I felt the chicken needed a little kick also. It came together really quickly, even with cooking up the dressing, but it was so tasty and so worth it, I will make this again for sure.