Sunshine Chicken Salad

How about a tasty chicken salad to welcome the first day of spring?  Even though we have no snow on the ground here, the first day of spring definitely came in like a Lion with chilly temperatures (about 32F as I type) and lots of wind (meaning a wind chill of 20F).  Glad I didn't put away my warm coat yet!  On the day I made this last weekend, it was a mild 57F.  The wild ride of March :)

This delightful chicken salad idea came by way of a Penny at Lake Lure Cottage who happened to mention the great chicken salad sandwich she and her husband enjoy at a restaurant in New Smyra Beach, Florida.  No recipe, just a list of the ingredients, so I decided to try and recreate it.  The apples, dried cranberries and orange mayonnaise sounded delicious together.  And, since it's from a restaurant in Florida, I named this Sunshine Chicken Salad :)

This was also a great opportunity to use the pea shoots that I started indoors last month.  I was anxious to see something green growing so just put a small handful of pea seeds in some seed starting soil and look what I have now! They added another wonderful and flavorful dimension to the salad.

Serve it on a bed of greens, add some avocado slices, as I did, or eat it on a buttery croissant, the way the restaurant in New Smyrna Beach serves it! Enjoy!

Sunshine Chicken Salad

Printable Recipe

Serves 2 as a main course salad

Add as much of each ingredient as you like, according to your preference!

2 cooked chicken breasts halves (roasted, poached or rotisserie chicken breast), diced
1 organic Gala Apple, cored and diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted pecans, broken into pieces
1-2 green onions, sliced thin, saving some of the green part for garnish
1/2 cup Hellmans or Best Foods mayonaisse
2 teaspoons concentrated orange juice, or use freshly squeezed
1/2 teaspoon grated organic orange rind, optional
Small bunch of snipped pea shoots, optional
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook chicken breast, allow to cool and then dice.

In a small saute pan, melt a little butter and add the pecans. Toast, tossing them around in the pan until fragrant and beginning to brown, slightly. Add a pinch of salt and toss. Place on paper toweling to cool.

Make the orange mayonnaise by adding the orange concentrate or fresh orange juice and zest, if using. Stir thoroughly to combine and taste test. Add more orange juice, if desired.

In a large bowl, combine the diced chicken, diced apple, cranberries, pecans, and sliced green onions.

Add the orange mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and toss to coat, adding more mayo, if necessary.

Cool for at least 1 hour to let the flavors combine and serve on a bed of lettuce and top with additional green onion and pea shoots, if available.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

Every Monday it's our pleasure to take care of our two little grandsons for our daughter who went back to school to get her MBA.  She then stays for dinner with us on those Mondays.  We love that we get to spend extra time with her, and her husband also loves the little break that he gets on Monday nights :)

 

Needless to say, I need to fix meals that are quick and easy after having 3-1/2 year old and 13-month old boys here all day.  I found this recipe for Chipotle Chicken Salad while searching for recipes using rotisserie chicken (Sam's sells biggest rotisserie chickens I've found). With a couple of minor 'tweaks', it turned out to be not only easy but really tasty!  I had the chicken cut, the beans rinsed and drained, the onions chopped and dressing made the night before.

Serve it up with a topping of Mexican blend cheese.  There are not only crushed tortilla chips mixed into the salad but I served the salad with extra chips to garnish with a bite of salad on top.  Have any of you tried the new Xochitl tortilla chips yet?. They are thin, crispy and a wonderful treat!

Happy May and Happy Cinco de Mayo!  

Here are a few other Mexican and Southwestern recipes you might like for your Cinco de Mayo feast:

Simple Chicken Fajitas  
Gazpacho Filled Avocados
Shrimp, Mango and Jicama Salad
Chipotle Pork Cheeseburgers
Chili Blanco Especial 

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Chipotle Chicken Salad

Adapted from Epicurious

Printable Recipe

Yield: Makes 4 servings

1 large rotisserie-cooked chicken at room temperature (I used only the breast meat in this salad)

1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs (I forgot to buy cilantro so substituted 1 tsp. dried)
1 rounded tablespoon canned chipotles in adobo, or to taste

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/3 cup olive oil
Fresh lime juice (about 2 limes worth)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

4-5 green onions, chopped
1 (15- to 19-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 firm-ripe California avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 firm tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3 oz tortilla chips, gently crushed into small but not tiny pieces (1 1/2 cups)
1 large head of romaine, rinsed and chopped

Shredded Mexican blend cheese - optional

Sliced black olives - optional

Remove chicken breast from bone and cut into large chunks and reserve. 

Purée cilantro, chipotles, sour cream, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a small chopper/blender, then slowly whisk in olive oil. Adjust to taste with either more adobo sauce, sour cream or lime juice.

Place romaine, chicken pieces, chopped onion, black beans, cubed avocado, tomato and crushed tortilla chips into a large salad bowl. 

Add enough dressing to coat and toss gently. 

Serve with additional tortilla chips for garnish and to scoop the salad. 

Note: The original recipe does not call for sour cream but I find it's a nice, cool counterpart to the chipotles in adobo. The salad can also be served on whole romaine leaves rather than mixed with chopped romaine.

PS:  Did you know that you chipotle peppers in adobo can be frozen?  I put one pepper and a little adobo sauce on a piece of plastic wrap and twist the ends together.  Do this with all of the peppers left in the can and then place them in a zipper freezer bag.

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Happy Spring, everyone!

We have already 'sprung forward' on the clock and today is the first 'full' day of spring. If you're like me, and live in the cooler climates of the northern states or Midwest, you are anxious to take rake in hand and feel the sunshine on your face outdoors again and that's just what I'm planning on doing this afternoon!

Spring is also a time of thinking a bit 'lighter' meal-wise, not only for quick meals after being outside gardening or golfing, but also to help lose those extra pounds put on over the winter.  Working outside means easy to make or make-ahead meals are in order. Here is one of my favorite salads that we've enjoyed recently.

My favorite chicken salad recipe! Add a fresh baguette and lunch or dinner is served.

Chicken Tarragon Salad
Printable Recipe

2-4 boneless chicken breasts, poached
1 bay leaf
1 cup celery, diced
3-4 thinly sliced scallions
1 cup Hellman’s Mayonaise (I use Light)
1 Tbsp Tarragon
Salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste

For Serving:

1 cup toasted pecans
Fresh grapes
Lettuce


To poach chicken breasts, place in a sauté pan with about a cup of water and bay leaf and cook, covered, over medium heat for about 20-25 minutes. The chicken may be cooked a day in advance and refrigerated. Cut into small pieces or shred with fingers when cool.
To toast pecans, arrange in single layer on a small cookie sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes – watch carefully during the last few minutes so they don’t burn.

Mix mayonnaise, tarragon, pepper and salt in bowl. Set aside. Place cooked chicken pieces in large bowl. Add celery and onions. Add dressing and mix well. Refrigerate salad, covered, for at least one hour.

To serve, arrange chicken salad over lettuce greens of your choice and add toasted pecans and grapes to garnish.