A Simple Salad

Although any cooked chicken breast meat--poached, leftover or purchased in the deli section of your supermarket--will work in this simple Asian salad, steamed chicken breasts are especially good.

Steam two large chicken breast halves with bones 20 to 25 minutes. Let them cool slightly before removing the skin and bones and then gently shred the meat to measure 2 cups.

European cucumbers, available in most supermarkets, are the long, skinny ones that have fewer seeds.

SHREDDED CHICKEN SALAD

1/3 European cucumber

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts, skin removed, about 2 large chicken breast halves

3 cloves garlic, minced

/4 teaspoon minced ginger root

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon rice wine

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Salt

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Peel and seed cucumber, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces to make 1 cup. Toss together shredded chicken and cucumber.

Combine garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, rice wine and sesame oil. Pour dressing over chicken and cucumbers and toss to coat. Let sit 15 minutes for flavors to blend.

Season with salt to taste and sprinkle with cilantro leaves.

4 servings. Each serving:

147 calories; 632 mg sodium; 60 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 0.19 gram fiber.

* Pulp net paper background from noteworthy, Santa Monica; Rebecca Wood pottery plate from Zero Minus Plus, Santa Monica.