For the Salad:
Ingredients:
2 4-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast halves, visible fat removed
½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 recipe Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette (see recipe below)
1 recipe Fried Onion Strings (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce + additional for drizzling, if desired
5 cups finely shredded Romaine lettuce
1 cup seeded, diced chopped tomatoes
¾ cup seeded diced cucumber
¼ cup diced zucchini
1 ounce (about ½ cup) finely shredded 75% light cheddar cheese

Preheat the grill to high heat.

Place the chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper on a cutting board. Using the flat head of a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it is an even ½-inch thickness. Rub it with the olive oil, salt & pepper. Place it on the grill and cook it about 3 minutes per side or until it is no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it stand to cool.

Prepare the dressing.

Prepare the onion strings.

Meanwhile, chop the chicken and transfer it to a medium bowl. Add the barbecue sauce and toss to coat evenly.

To a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, and cheddar. Add the dressing and toss the salad. Transfer it to a serving platter or divide it evenly among 2 dinner plates. Top with the chicken and onion strings.

Makes 2 (about 3-1/4 cups each) entrée-sized servings; or 4 (heaping 1-1/2 cup) side-dish salads.

Each (entrée-sized) serving has: 467 calories, 41 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 71 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 1046 mg sodium

Traditional BBQ Chicken Chop: 1072 calories, 46 g protein, 76 g carbohydrates, 66 g fat, 21 g saturated fat, 124 mg cholesterol, 8 g fiber, 2781 mg sodium

Devin Says: The serving size of the traditional I’ve compared this salad to is admittedly larger than mine. Though I generally make it a point to compare same-sized dishes, in this case, I was so shocked to learn how many fat and calories were in the restaurant version, I thought you would be too: 1072 calories and 66 g of fat in 1 salad!

For the Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Pinch salt
Black pepper, to taste

In a medium re-sealable plastic container, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and honey. Slowly whisk in the oil. Stir in the basil then season with salt and pepper. Dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance.

Makes about 4 tablespoons (a bit over); 2 servings.

For the Fried Onion Strings (optional):
Ingredients:
8 1/8-inch thick slices from a small onion
½ cup store-bought plain breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
4 tablespoons egg substitute
olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly mist a medium, non-stick baking sheet with spray.

Separate the onion into rings.

Spoon the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a medium, zipper-top, plastic bag.

Pour the egg into a small shallow bowl.

Dip a few rings at a time into the egg mixture to cover them, then let any excess egg drip away. Next drop them into the bag of breadcrumbs and shake the bag to coat them completely. Shake off any excess crumbs, then transfer the onion pieces back to the egg mixture. Drop them into the crumb bag and shake the bag gently to coat them. They should be evenly and completely covered. Place them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Repeat this procedure until all of the rings are breaded—you may need to remove any lumps of crumbs from the bag about ½ way through the breading process. Lightly mist the tops of the pieces with the spray. Bake the breaded onions on a lower oven rack for 5 minutes, then carefully, being sure not the remove the breading, flip them and continue to bake them for another 4-5 minutes or until the breading is crispy and the onions are tender.