Spring Chicken Salad Recipe Recipe
Spring Chicken Salad

Just as you comb through the closet every spring, pulling out lighter garments, do the same with recipes.

Chilled entree salads, sandwiches and cold soups -- not your first choice for January meals -- are welcome now.

However, even when you're serving cold food, you do need to plan in advance to prepare and chill the ingredients.

The following chicken salad recipe is a delicious example.

If you cook chicken at the last minute you'll have to delay dinner. But if you have cooked chicken on hand, your meal will be ready in minutes.

To save the last-minute hassle, cook chicken in advance. Reserve two cups of cooked, diced chicken for a salad you'll eat within the next three days. Freeze the remainder in two-cup portions up to six months. (Of course, you could also use up leftover rotisserie chicken from a recent meal or purchase a package of cooked, chopped and unseasoned chicken breast meat.)

Then, to assemble the salad, combine the chicken with celery, scallions, an avocado and cilantro. Vary the recipe to substitute cold cooked asparagus for the avocado if you prefer.

Spring Chicken Salad Recipe

Makes 2 servings.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

2 cups diced cooked chicken breast (1 large cooked chicken breast half)

1 celery rib, diced

1/4 cup chopped scallion (2 or 3 scallions)

Orange and curry dressing (follows)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped pistachio nuts

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

1/4 cup diced avocado

Combine chicken, celery and scallion in a mixing bowl. Add dressing and stir gently but well. Just before serving, add pistachios, cilantro and avocado. Stir very gently.

Orange and curry dressing

3/8 teaspoon curry powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/8 teaspoon pepper or to taste

21/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon orange juice

Combine curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a cup. Stir in vinegar. Add oil and orange juice and stir again.

Each serving has: 360 calories; 23 grams total fat; 29 grams protein; 11 grams carbohydrates; 73 milligrams cholesterol; 370 milligrams sodium and 2 grams dietary fiber.

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Spring Chicken Salad Recipe

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