Cooking Club: Make-ahead chicken salad satisfies all week

Lunch is breaking free of its boring brown bag. Photoworthy midday meals streaming on social media make us drool all over our computer keyboard. Entire cookbooks are dedicated to the art of a perfectly packed lunch.

It's not just about making the kids at the lunch table or co-workers jealous. Taking time for lunch is a healthy break for mind and spirit in the middle of the day.

Preparing the ingredients at the beginning of the week and enjoy a healthful lunch every day.

Start by poaching chicken. For poaching tips, go to Thegazette.com/Living. This month's The Gazette KCRG-TV9 Cook Club recipe - Poached Salmon Grain Bowl with Smoky Paprika Sauce - features tips for the technique.

While the chicken is cooking, start chopping the vegetables. Once the chicken is cooked, let it cool thoroughly before shredding it and assembling the salads in canning jars.

This reusable, airtight container is a great way to prepare lunchtime salads to last through the workweek.

Follow these tips to build a better salad:

1. Place salad dressing or wet ingredients on the bottom.

2. Then layer firm vegetables that retain their texture well, such as broccoli, carrots or cauliflower.

3. Finally, fill to the top with leafy greens. Place lid securely on jar and store in refrigerator.

4. Before serving, shake.

Fruity Chicken Salad with Baby Greens

Serves: 5

3/4 cup light mayonnaise

1 (6 ounce) container orange-flavored yogurt

1 pound chicken breasts, shredded or chopped (see accompanying recipe)

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 cups orange segments, sectioned and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 (2 ounce) packages Hy-Vee slivered almonds, toasted if desired

1 (5 ounce) package baby spinach leaves or lettuce blend

1 package flatbread (optional)

Combine mayonnaise and yogurt in a bowl. Add chicken, celery and onion. Stir gently until well combined.

Place 1/3 cup chicken mixture in the bottom of each jar. Top each with 1/4 cup orange segments and next place a layer of 1/4 cup slivered almonds in each jar. Fill each jar to the top with packed spinach or lettuce. Refrigerate. To serve, shake and pour contents into bowl or onto flatbread.

Nutrition facts per serving for chicken salad without bread (using sweetened yogurt): 235 calories, 8 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium (including bread), 21 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber

Source: Hy-Vee

Perfect Poached Chicken Breasts

Serves 4

Poaching is a gentle cooking method that results in tender chicken that can be shredded for any use, such as chicken salad, soups or casseroles.

2 (about 1 pound) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 to 2 cups fat-free, lower sodium chicken broth or water

2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs

1 bay leaf

Place chicken breasts in small, heavy-bottomed pot. They should fit snugly in a single layer. Cover chicken with broth or water. Add herbs and bay leaf.

Bring to a simmer. Partly cover and adjust heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; leave chicken in cooking liquid for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool and slice or shred chicken. Store unused portion in refrigerator.

Nutrition facts per serving: calories 121, calories from fat 13, total fat 1.4 g (sat 0.4 mg), cholesterol 65 mg, sodium 96 mg, carbohydrate 0.4 g, fiber 0 g, protein 26.6 g

Source: Adapted from About.com