Pork might be the go-to protein for Chef Hubby’s events and fancy dinners, but Parker Lee and I think chicken is the best.

Take the above Crispy Chicken Tender Salad w Pickled Carrots & Ginger-Soy Dressing. I can fry up (in an inch of heart-healthy olive oil) a batch of juicy chicken tenders and go two different ways. Parker takes hers straight up with a squeeze of ketchup (what almost-3 year-old doesn’t love ketchup? Sigh…). I save $30, put away the Japanese take-out menus and whip up a yummy Asian-flavored salad.

REDBOOK liked the salad and four more of my all-time favorite chicken standbys. Check it out and let me know what you think!

REDBOOK: Brooke’s Five Fast & Easy Spring Chicken Dinners