Prepare Some Delicious Lettuce Nests

Lettuce nests are one of the most nutritious and tasty ways to present salads.

Its ingredients can vary according to the season, the area and the preferences of each person, so there are infinite combinations.

Their great advantage is that they can be served in different meals: snacks, lunches or dinners.

It is also a different way to get more flavor out of lettuce to take advantage of its nutritional contributions, which include vitamins A, K and C, minerals such as calcium and potassium and folate.

Here are some options for you to see for yourself its good taste and versatility.

Caribbean lettuce nests

Ingredients for the salad

• ½ red onion
• 4 cups of romaine lettuce (200 g)
• 2 large tangerines
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 cup of black beans (100 g)
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil (45 ml)
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (30 g)
• 2 tablespoons of ground ginger (30 g)
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted soy sauce (15 ml)
• 2 medium chicken breasts, boneless

Ingredients for the dressing

• 1 mango
• 1 tablespoon of honey (25 g)
• ½ tablespoon of salt (5 g)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (30 ml)
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin (5 g)
• ½ teaspoon of coriander powder (2.5 g)
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice (45 ml)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (2.5 g)

Preparation

1. To prepare this recipe, you will need to marinate the chicken breasts in advance since they need to marinate for at least 30 minutes (although it is preferable to leave it overnight).
   To do this, you must place the breasts together with the soy, ginger, brown sugar and olive oil in a sealed plastic bag. Check that the bag is tightly closed under vacuum and proceed to move the ingredients inside, so that the breasts are sufficiently impregnated. Next, take it to the refrigerator.
   Once you have the marinated meat, you can continue with the preparation.
2. Cook the black beans according to your custom. 
3. Peel and cut the onion into strips. When finished, place the strips in a bowl of water. Reservation.
4. To prepare the dressing: peel the mango and puree it. Add the lemon juice, honey, cumin, parsley and cayenne and mix everything with a hand mixer. While beating, add a little bit of olive oil little by little.
5. Check the seasoning of the dressing and rectify if necessary.
6. Now you will proceed to cook the chicken breasts: place them in a non-stick pan, over medium heat. Let them cook on both sides and, once they are ready, remove them from the heat so that they rest at room temperature.
7. Cut the breasts into small cubes.
8. Drain the water from the onion pieces that you had previously reserved.
9. Wash and drain the lettuce. Arrange the leaves on a plate, concave side up, and add a little dressing. Then add a few chicken cubes, onion and pepper chunks, mandarin orange wedges, and the black beans. Pour in some more dressing

Clever! You already have your Caribbean lettuce nests.

Lettuce nests with chicken, chickpeas and avocado

Ingredients

• 4 cups of lettuce (200 g)
• 1 avocado
• Olive oil (to taste)
• Fresh basil leaves.
• 3 large leeks
• 2 cups of chickpeas (200 g)
• The juice of half a lemon
• Seasonings: salt and black pepper
• 2 medium chicken breasts, boneless
• Optional: 1 cup of quinoa (100 g)

Preparation

1. Cook the chickpeas according to your custom.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the chicken breasts to a boil in water.
3. When the water reaches its boiling point, lower the heat slightly and let the chicken cook for 20 more minutes.
4. Once the time has passed, remove the pot, turn off the heat and drain the chicken with the help of a strainer. Let it cool down at room temperature for a few minutes.
5. Shred the chicken into thin strips.
6. Apart, separate and wash the lettuce leaves well. Place them on a plate with the concave side up.
7. For the dressing: peel the avocado and mix it with the lemon juice and seasonings.
8. Cut the leeks and fresh basil leaves into small pieces (not too thick).
9. Fill each lettuce leaf with chicken, chickpeas and pour enough dressing on top. Finally, add some leek and basil.
10. Serve and enjoy.

Salads are often associated with weight loss programs. For this reason, the concept of lettuce salad with tomato and onion has overshadowed many delicious alternatives.

However, with lettuce nests that can change for the better.