Curried Chicken Salad
Serves 6 | Prep Time 15 minutes | Cook Time 0 minutes
This salad was inspired by those gorgeous, colorful Bollywood flicks that offer a feast of singing, dancing, and romance. I love Indian food, as it was my first real introduction to all things curry. Only much later did I learn that turmeric, a typical curry spice that gives curries a yellow tint, has tremendous antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties. And to think, I loved it just for its taste! Here, I was hankering for a swirl of flavors with an Indian feel. The chicken makes a great starting point because it’s full of protein and amenable to all sorts of accessorizing. In this case, the apple and raisins play delightfully off the curry spices.
Instructions
Chop the chicken into 1⁄2-inch pieces and put them in a bowl. Stir in the apple, raisins, scallions, and celery. Separately, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, curry powder, ginger, and salt. Add the yogurt mixture to the chicken and stir gently until thoroughly combined. Serve atop the lettuce leaves, garnished with the almonds and cilantro.
VARIATION: Making pita pocket sandwiches is a fantastic way to get much-needed nutrients into your body and fill your belly while you’re running errands, waiting for a doctor’s appointment, or otherwise on the go. Place a pita on a flat work surface and cut a 2-inch section off the top using a knife. With the pita lying flat, insert 1⁄4 cup of salad greens, then carefully spread 1⁄2 cup of the chicken salad on top of the greens, making certain to spread it around the entire cavity of the pita.
COOK’S NOTE: Save time by using store-bought organic roast chicken or, better yet, the leftovers from Orange Ginger Roasted Chicken (page xx).
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
PER SERVING: Calories: 300; Total Fat: 11.3 g (3.1 g saturated, 3.8 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 15 g; Protein: 34 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sodium: 375 mg
Reprinted with permission from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery. Copyright © 2009 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.
Ingredients
1 1⁄2 pounds roasted organic chicken
1 granny smith apple, diced into 1⁄4-inch pieces
1⁄4 cup raisins or currants
1⁄4 cup minced scallions, green part only
2 stalks celery, diced small
1⁄2 cup organic plain Greek-style yogurt
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon curry powder
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
6 butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried
1⁄4 cup slivered toasted almonds for garnish
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)