Come summer time, when you're living in an apartment with the most pathetic little AC unit that couldn't...turning on the oven is just about the least appealing act one could endeavor. This situation is just as ripe an opportunity as any for fresh salads. I can't say I don't love a good salad, but being a committed carnivore, a salad all by its lonesome just usually doesn't satisfy. Sure, I can throw in some nuts or seeds for protein, fill it up with fresh veggies, or just make the perfect vinagrette - but the little voice in my stomach still cries out for meat.
Which makes chicken salad even more perfect. Chicken salad is one of my newer obsessions - as long as its rife with celery, cranberries, and not too much mayo. One of my favorite chicken salads is, in fact, a curried chicken salad and there is just nothing that hits the spot more dead-on in the middle of summer. That being said, I scoured the web for a perfect curried chicken salad recipe to quench my craving and finally found one that had recieved nothing but rave reviews from fellow foodies on epicurious.com.
Their recipe used mangoes for sweetness, cashews for crunch, and red onions for tang. I decided to replace all of the above with dried cranberries, celery, and green onions. Oh. My. God. Was it good! Just to make a good thing better, I piled it high on La Brea Bakery's whole wheat - with a malty flavor and little specks of sunflower and other delicious little sead - and topped it all off with a little spring salad mixture just so I felt ok about all the mayonaise (low fat!) that went into my chicken salad. However, speaking of mayonaise - I generally can't stand the stuff unless its in a chicken salad which is why the recipe on epicurious.com was even more perfect - it halved the mayonaise by pairing it with yogurt (Greek - 2%!).
So, if you (like me) just can't bear the thought of applying heat to an already over-saturated apartment, go ahead and whip yourself up some curried chicken salad - the only heat involved will be in your mouth.
Curried Chicken Salad (adapted from Gourmet)
1 1/2 pound (or less) chicken breast
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
4 cups water
3 celery stalks (I like to use the paler ones of the heart)
4-5 green onions, white and pale green parts only
A handful and a half of dried cranberries
3/4 teaspoon honey
3/4 tablespoon lime juice (freshly squeezed)
3 1/2 - 4 tablespoons curry powder (depending on how spicy you like your salad)
A little less than 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonaise
Bring 4 cups water to a simmer with chicken broth in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Add chicken and simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover, then let stand until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and cool 10 minutes. Chop into 1/2-inch pieces.
While chicken is cooling, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, curry, lime juice, honey, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, scallions, cranberries, and celery and stir gently to combine.
