- Thomas Fuller
I realize when this quote was written they probably didn't have such a conglomeration of flavors and ingredients as you find in today's salads, and seeing as it was at least close to 100 years before the documented invention of mayonnaise, this type of chicken salad would have been altogether impossible. I'm sure you've eaten at restaurants (or out of plastic tubs from the refrigerated section) that have served chicken salad. What image comes to mind? A mayonnaisey glop of chopped up chicken and a few vegetables thrown in for good measure? That is not what comes to mind when I think about chicken salad, and after you've tried this recipe I seriously doubt if you'll ever think of chicken salad in quite the same way. My mom came up with this low-calorie, practically no-fat recipe for chicken salad when I was a kid. So it is yet another food that I grew up eating. In recent years we've begun topping our platefuls of chicken salad with Craisins and broken pecan pieces. I also like to eat it with a thick slice of Colby cheese and Wheat Thin crackers. Then again you can put it between two slices of wheat bread with a piece of good old American cheese. Come to think of it, there isn't any way I've eaten it that I don't like!
Demetria's Low-Fat Chicken Salad
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 large hard apples (Gala or Fuji)
1 cup red or black seedless grapes
4-5 ribs of celery
1 1/2 - 2 cups Dannon Plain Non-Fat Yogurt
3-4 TB Hellman's Olive Oil Mayonnaise
1. First things first, cook that chicken! There are a few ways you can do this: cube it and saute in a large skillet, saute whole breasts and cube or shred when cooked, simmer in enough water to cover chicken until just done and tender, or throw it in the pressure cooker with some salt and let it do its thang. If you've never cooked chicken breasts in the pressure cooker, check out our method in the recipe for Chicken & Dumplings. Now, if you overcook the chicken it will be tough, which makes the finished product a little less palatable. If you are unsure of your chicken cooking skills, just pick up a baked or rotisseried chicken from your local supermarket. Note that doing a whole chicken will add fat (dark meat, cooking with skin on) and that picking the meat off the bones takes just as long as sauteing the chicken yourself. Do not be scared of the chicken breast and its bad reputation for being dry. Just keep your thermometer handy and when the chicken is browned on both sides, check the internal temperature by inserting the thermometer into the breast from the thick end of the chicken. *I usually stand it on end with a fork to aid in this task.*
2. While the chicken cooks, mix up the "dressing" - we only use Dannon Plain Non-Fat Yogurt and Hellman's mayo. My mom prefers the Olive Oil Mayonnaise with the light green lid, but we always used the lite mayo with the pale blue lid before the Olive Oil kind was introduced. Just dump the yogurt and mayo into a large mixing bowl and stir until it is thoroughly mixed.
3. Chicken should still be cooking at this point, so get started chopping! Wash the apples, celery, and grapes first; dry them thoroughly, and then dice the apples and celery and halve or quarter the grapes depending on how large they are.
For the apples, we use a corer/slicer that gives us 10 wedges. The dice needs to be about 1/4" thick and 1/2" square. Some pieces will not have skin, and you can certainly peel the whole apple if you like. I personally like the added crunch and color the skin gives. Add the apples to the dressing and toss to coat as soon as they are diced to keep them from turning brown.
Grapes are the easy part. Slice them in half or quarter them and toss them into the dressing with the apples.
The celery needs to be a bit smaller because it is so fibrous and hard to chew. Cut the leafy end and the root end off each stalk. Slice it into 4 long, thin strips, line up the strips and then dice it in 1/8" - 1/4" pieces.
4. After the chicken is done (165º internal temp), remove it to a cutting board and cube it into 1/2" pieces. Add it to the dressing and toss to coat. It will take a bit of stirring to get everything mixed up well.
5. Sprinkle individual servings with dried cranberries and broken pecans if desired. Stir to remix before serving because the dressing will separate a bit from the moisture of the fruits as well as because the yogurt is runny. If you want a thicker texture you can always drain your yogurt by spooning it into cheesecloth and letting the excess moisture drip through into a bowl.
6. This is not a strict recipe, more like a guideline. If you like more or less of something, feel free to tailor it to your tastes!
No comments:
Post a Comment