Chicken Rotini Salad with Rosemary

Serves: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)

The combination of bright green spinach, rich red tomatoes, and shiny black olives makes this salad pop with color as well as taste.
Ingredients
4 ounces dried multigrain rotini
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked skinless chicken breasts, cooked without salt (about 7 1/2 ounces cooked) (see Cook’s Tip at end of recipe)
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (about 5 ounces)
1 cup fresh baby spinach (about 1 ounce)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1 2.25-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil (extra-virgin preferred)
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 cup crumbled low-fat blue cheese

Directions:
In a stockpot or large saucepan, prepare the pasta using the package directions, omitting the salt and oil. Drain in a colander. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta quickly. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients except the blue cheese. Stir in the pasta. Gently fold in the blue cheese.

Cook's Tip:
It is so convenient to prepare extra chicken breasts to keep in the freezer for those hectic nights, but if you don’t have any available for this dish, discard all the visible fat from 10 ounces of skinless, boneless chicken breasts, then cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Remove the skillet from the burner and lightly spray with cooking spray (keeping far from a gas flame). Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center, stirring constantly.

Nutrition Facts: (per serving)
Calories: 296
Total Fat: 9.0 g
Saturated Fat: 2.0g
Trans Fat: 0.0
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.0g
Monounsaturated Fat: 4.5g
Cholesterol: 48mg
Sodium: 444mg
Carbohydrates: 29g
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 25g

Dietary Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable

Source: American Heart Association