Curried Chicken Salad

I don’t know about you but I feel like I post a lot about egg salad or chicken salad but the fact of the matter is that I grew up in central Illinois where mayonnaise was always in my house and a mayonnaise sandwich wasn’t necessarily out of the question when no one was looking.  But since mayo is bad, bad, bad, I’m not willing to give up on egg salad and chicken salad, two of my favorite loves.  I keep trying to make it healthy and whether I’m satisfied enough or not, I’m always willing to try it a different way.  So there you go.  I was curious about a Curried Chicken Salad recipe from Martha Stewart but it required a lot of chicken prep which I wasn’t into.  So this is my version of Martha’s version and it turned out pretty darn good.

Precooked chicken is mixed with a combination of Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, curry powder and scallions before being tossed with toasted almonds and Granny Smith apple.  Using precooked chicken makes this dish come together fast and the combination of yogurt and light mayonnaise keeps it creamy.  The curry adds a bold flavor punch (but not too much) and the almonds and apple provide a fun crunch.  Since I typically like a bit of sweetness in my chicken salad, either from grapes or dried fruit, I love the addition of the Granny Smith apple which not only adds a little sweetness but also a tart edge.

Curried Chicken Salad (makes 4 servings) – adapted from Martha Stewart

  •  9 oz precooked chicken, chopped (such as PERDUE® SHORT CUTS® Carved Chicken Breast, Original Roasted)
  • 6 tablespoons non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1 small Granny Smith apple, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • lettuce or baby spinach

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, scallions, almonds, and apple.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in chicken until combined.  Serve over lettuce, baby spinach or on your favorite bread.

The ingredients:

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, scallions, almonds, and apple.  Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in chicken until combined.

Serve over lettuce, baby spinach or on your favorite bread.

Pausing…

I want to take a moment away from talking about food and cooking for a second to remember two special people today.

Two years ago today, I lost my dad to cancer. I still think about him everyday. He was the kind of guy who didn’t care what I did, so long as I was happy doing it. He left this world too soon but I get comfort in knowing he’s back together with my mom now after living without her for 20 years.

Also, today I am writing to you from Ellicott City, Maryland where I’m attending the second annual Kelly D. Heflin Foundation Golf Tournament. Kelly was a dear friend and amazing woman who also lost her battle to cancer last year. Kelly is another person whose life was cut way too short by this horrible disease.

Her family has set up a foundation in her name, the Kelly D. Heflin Foundation, which helps to support people living with cancer and provides them with important necessities such as wigs, transportation to and from treatment, and financial assistance. Considering I lost both parents to cancer, this foundation is important to me and I’m proud to be in Maryland with Kelly’s family and friends celebrating her and celebrating life while also celebrating my dad.

For more information about how Kelly’s Foundation helps, please visit www.kellysfoundation.com.

Green Curry Fritters

I feel like I’m becoming tight with the ethnic foods aisle in my grocery store. For someone who used to only peruse said aisle to buy soy sauce, my refrigerator is now filled with all kinds of Asian condiments like Sriracha, coconut milk, hoisin sauce, peanut sauce, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce and sambal oelek. These flavorful items have become my best friends in a pinch. I throw no less than two or three of them into a bowl of ground turkey for making burgers and when my cupboard is growing scarce, my go-to dinner is usually a bowl of whole-wheat thin spaghetti swirled with a mixture of several Asian sauces – the hotter the better. Despite comfort with my expanding pallet, there was something about the small, unassuming bottle of green curry paste that had my knees shaking when I opened it. With an unappealing smell and an even more unappealing appearance, I questioned my judgement in deciding to try these Green Curry Fritters. What was I getting myself into? Had I finally gone too far?

Ground chicken is mixed with panko crumbs and scallions before being smothered in a mixture of mayonnaise, green curry paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, sambal oelek, ginger and egg. The mixture is flattened into patties and cooked in a hot pan with canola oil until browned and fully cooked. These fritters are salty, spicy and get a bite from the scallions. Don’t be confused by the name of these fritters because they are basically Asian-flavored sliders. And don’t be intimidated by the green curry paste. These fritters are packed with bold flavor and don’t have an overwhelming curry flavor which comes with curry powder. In fact, I didn’t taste curry at all, just bold tasty flavors. I ate my fritters with a simple side salad but these would be great with cabbage slaw as the recipe suggests because the cool cabbage would help to tone down the heat from the sambal oelek. Of course, my tongue was loving every second of the heat making me a big fan of these. I’m eating these fritters for lunch this week and getting compliments on how good my lunch smells. Whether you like curry or not, I suggest giving these a try. You just mind find a new condiment to like. Even if it’s kind of ugly-looking.

The ingredients:

Place panko, scallions, and ground chicken in a large bowl.

Combine mayonnaise, green curry paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, sambal oelek, salt, ginger and egg in another bowl.

Add green curry mixture to chicken mixture; mix lightly until combined. Divide into 12 equal portions; gently shape each portion into a small patty (do not pack).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan; swirl. Add 6 patties to pan; cook 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure.

Serve with salad or cabbage slaw.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Ground ginger

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

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