Forget about the traditional chicken salads your grandma used to make. You know the ones where it was hard to see the chicken chunks through all that mayonnaise. These next recipes add a new twist to the childhood classic.
The first recipe combines crunchy apples and pecans with the tartness of cranberries and the sweetness of coconut. (All that, plus the chicken.) The dish couldn’t be easier to make and it never fails to get guests excited about eating salad. I like to serve this recipe in lettuce leaves and eat it like a wrap. It’s also a fun way to get kids to eat healthy.
The second recipe is a twist on the classic pasta salad. By adding carrots, celery and green peas to the chicken and pasta you can get all the food groups in one dish. The recipe is also highly economical and can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. It’s a perfect dish to serve at a summer potluck or as a quick meal to eat at home on a day when you would rather be out biking with the kids than baking in a steamy kitchen.
And as always you can make life much easier by using those fresh rotisserie (or roasted) chickens from your local supermarket or from the deli section at Wal-Mart.
CURRIED CHICKEN AND FRUIT SALAD
Ingredients:
1 container (8 ounces) plain nonfat yogurt
8 ounces nonfat sour cream
1/4 cup light or reduced-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
1 Fuji apple, chopped
1/4 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 sprigs Italian parsley, minced
1 rotisserie chicken, chopped or shredded
Romaine, or green leaf lettuce
Directions:
Whisk together yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise, and curry powder in a large bowl. Add cranberries, apples, coconut, pecans, and parsley; mix well.
Add chicken; mix well.
To serve, spoon chicken salad into lettuce leaves and eat like a wrap.
Serves 10.
CHICKEN AND VEGGIE PASTA SALAD
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked bow tie or any type of short pasta, cooked (about 8 ounces uncooked)
2 cups diced cooked chicken
3/4 cup sliced celery
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
Ingredients for Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
In large bowl, combine pasta, chicken and vegetables.
In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
Drizzle over salad and toss gently.
Cover and chill.
Serves 6.
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