Avocado Chicken Salad

It's Detox Monday in our household.  Over the weekend we had a family wedding...the first of 3 weddings out of state 3 weekends in a row....and for the first time in 3 months I most definitely fell-off-the-wagon.  I thought I would be a bit disappointed in myself and, I guess, to an extent I am; however it feels great to eat whatever I want, not have any big side effects, and then wake up knowing I choose to go back to the healthier way I have been eating.

It is amazing what a few months of deciding to change the way you eat and live will do to the way you look at things.  Even my husband made a comment tonight as he was going through yesterday's newspaper coupon that it is amusing to him to see coupons and ads for "nutritious" cereal bars or fruity toaster breakfast options.  I think watching the changes in my husband is far more rewarding for me than seeing my own progress.  He doesn't have the digestive issues that I have that push him to change his eating habits, but he makes so many better choices without me nagging him at all.  I have really tried hard not to let my eating changes affect him too much, I really wanted him to WANT to change on his own and not force things on him.  That being said, one of my FAVORITE summer chicken recipes before my stomach issues got bad was this awesome Balsamic Chicken salad.  I am a sucker for balsamic vinaigrette, my husband and my stomach, however, hate it.  This avocado chicken salad is a big winner with both of those critics, though.

Avocado Chicken Salad

2-boiled chicken breasts
2-avocado
1-lime juiced
1/2C-Chopped cilantro (optional, I really go back and forth with it)
Dash pepper
Garlic Salt to taste

Optional
pecan pieces
red grapes cut into pieces

Cut up your 2 boiled chicken breasts into small pieces (I have tried shredding them, it doesn't change the taste, but you need to add more avocado or there isn't enough to cover).  If you have just taken the chicken out of the water, place the chicken pieces into a bowl and stick into the fridge to cool off.  While the chicken is cooling, stick your cilantro, lime juice, avocados, pepper and garlic salt into a food processor.  I use my vitamix and it works perfectly, you just need to use the stick to move it around a bit.  I have also tried mashing the avocado and chopping cilantro by hand.  This works, as well, it is just more effort on your part.

Once all ingredients are combined, pour into bowl of chicken and stir until mixed.  You can stick this back into the fridge to get even colder or serve immediately.

Serves 4....or 2 with enough for lunch the next day.