Chopped Salad with Buttermilk Poppy Seed Dressing

This salad is packed with a wonderful range of textures and colors. Turkey, bacon, bell peppers, corn, jicama and lettuce are tossed with a freshly made tangy dressing.

Recipe Ingredients:

Dressing:
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Splenda® Granulated No Calorie Sweetener
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Salad:
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 avocado, slightly ripe and slightly firm to the touch
1 cup coarsely chopped jicama
4 ounces sliced turkey breast
1 turkey bacon, cooked
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/3 cup frozen yellow corn kernels, thawed

Cooking Directions:

1. Prepare Dressing. Pour half of the buttermilk into a small saucepan. Add the cornstarch and stir well, using a wire whisk. Stir until the cornstarch is fully incorporated and there are no lumps. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbling (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat. Pour buttermilk mixture into a medium bowl. Add remaining buttermilk, Splenda® Granulated Sweetener, Dijon Style Mustard, reduced-fat mayonnaise and salt. Stir well. Add poppy seeds and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or until ready to use.
2. Prepare salad just before serving. Place romaine in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Slice avocado in half. Remove pit. Peel avocado or scoop avocado out of the skin with a large spoon. Chop avocado into approximately 1/2 inch chunks. Place in the bowl with the romaine lettuce. Add chopped jicama and toss. Refrigerate romaine salad blend until ready to use. Set aside.
3. Cut the sliced turkey breast into small strips. Toss with about 2 Tbsp. of the chilled dressing and refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Chop the red pepper into thin, one-inch long strips. Set aside.
5. Chop the cooked bacon into short crosswise strips. Set aside.
6. Assemble salad. Toss 2/3 cup dressing with the romaine salad blend. Place on a serving platter. Place turkey in the center of the salad. Sprinkle over the entire salad the strips of bacon, blue cheese, corn and red pepper strips. Serve immediately. Serve any remaining dressing on the side.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/6 of recipe): Calories: 160; Calories from Fat: 90; Total Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 15mg; Sodium: 600mg; Total Carbs: 14g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugars: 4g; Protein: 8g.

Exchanges per Serving: 1 Lean Meat, 1 Fat, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Starch.

Recipe courtesy of Splenda, Inc. Splenda® is a no-calorie sweetener made from sugar that is suitable for diabetics. For more information regarding this product, please call 1-800-777-5363 or visit their website at www.splenda.com.