Tag Archives: almonds

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.

Summer Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

July 26, 2012
Shannon
1 comment
almonds, avocado, food, mango, peppers, salad, tomatoes, vegetarian

Sometimes you just need a salad. After my birthday celebration this past weekend that lasted a day longer than we all anticipated, I need several salads. And several more after that. My problem is: I. just. don’t. like. salad. I do like salads at restaurants that have bad stuff, like crispy chicken, fatty dressing, tons of cheese and nary a vegetable anywhere. You know. The ones nutritionists and dietitians tell you in magazines that you should never order? Fortunately, the building where I work not only has a cafe with a large salad bar, but one floor up from that is another salad spot where you can have someone make one for you. Unfortunately, I hate those salads. I don’t know if it’s the dressing, the lack of options or what, but each time I get one of these salads, I’m miserable and disappointed. I have figured out though, I like salads I make myself, where I control the ingredients and only put in what I know I like. And I since I don’t really like bottled dressing, I like simple vinaigrettes where I can control the fat and the flavor. So after work last night, I stopped at the store and started filling my basket with both fruits and veggies that I knew would not only be tasty but would also take advantage of summer’s colorful (and local!) produce. Hence, the homemade Summer Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette.

A simple butter lettuce/red leaf lettuce combination is topped with Jersey plum tomatoes, baby carrots, avocado, red pepper, mango, and toasted almonds before being drizzled with a vinaigrette of white wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. The almonds, carrots and red pepper give a yummy crunch while the avocado provides a creamy texture. And the mango…oh the mango. Some people don’t like fruit in their salads but I think nothing is better. The slightest bit of sweetness in the mango mixes so well with the other produce and gives this salad the perfect ending note. The vinaigrette is simple and light and especially good with a dash or two of garlic powder. Use any vinegar you like and as little or as much oil as you prefer. This salad didn’t leave me feeling unsatisfied or unhappy. It’s one salad I can definitely get behind!

Summer Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette (makes 2 servings)

4 cups salad greens (your preferred choice)
1 or 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup baby carrots, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 avocado, cut into bite size pieces
1 mango, chopped
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted (or any preferred nut)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Combine extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinaigrette, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (if using) in a jar or bowl. Shake or whisk to combine. Divide lettuce between two plates, and top with even amounts of tomato, carrot, red pepper, avocado and mango. Top each plate with one tablespoon of toasted almonds. Drizzle each plate with dressing, using as little or as much as you like. Finish with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Combine extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinaigrette, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (if using) in a jar or bowl. Shake or whisk to combine.

Divide lettuce between two plates, and top with even amounts of tomato, carrot, red pepper, avocado and mango.

Top each plate with one tablespoon of toasted almonds and drizzle each plate with dressing, using as little or as much as you like.

Finish with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Asian Chicken Salad

June 11, 2012
Shannon
2 comments
almonds, Asian, chicken, food, ginger, salad

Unfortunately, I’m not a big salad person. I know some people who can eat a salad for lunch everyday but I’m just not one of those people as much as I wish I was. Every once in a great while, I’ll go through a salad phase, but that comes and goes with the solar eclipse. I just don’t enjoy chomping on lettuce. I love baby spinach but only when cooked or topping a sandwich. But recently I realized that I do like cabbage. Maybe because there is more heft to it. This is a realization for me because I never ate cabbage as a kid. Not even the little cups of creamy coleslaw that seemed to sit beside every sandwich at every restaurant.

But since this blog is making me expand my horizons a little, I boldly lifted two different kinds of cabbage into my grocery cart this weekend in order to make Asian Chicken Salad. Napa cabbage and red cabbage are mixed with chopped chicken and cilantro and tossed with a spicy, gingery, Asian dressing. The dressing calls for Chinese mustard (I got mine from a leftover Chinese food packet!) but if you don’t have any, I think dijon or even yellow mustard would work. The dressing gets heat from the chile paste and a slight sweetness from honey. Topping it all of are toasted almonds and Chinese noodles (I used chow mein noodles) which add a buttery crunch and sweet, juicy mandarin oranges. This is a great salad which will travel well for a picnic or, if you plan on eating it over a few days, toss the dressing when you are ready to eat to keep the cabbage from getting soggy. Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients in this recipe (which is one of Cooking Light Magazine‘s Superfast recipes) because if you use precooked chicken, it can be made in less than 20 minutes. This is one salad I won’t mind eating everyday.

The ingredients:

In a large nonstick skillet, sauté almonds in melted butter over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add in Chinese noodles and sauté for 3 minutes or until toasted. Set aside to cool slightly.