Curried Chicken Salad.

Yes, I have been madly cooking from Nourishing Traditions.

Yes, I am in love with multiple recipes already.

And yes, because I love you, I will share another one with you. Pretty soon, you won't even have to worry about buying the book because I plan on being a big enough geek to try them all. I read cookbooks. I cook. I blog about it. And that's just how I roll.

What I love so much about cooking is the freedom the cook has with the ingredients. Extra spice? Sure! More lemon? You bet! Substitute in leeks? Why not! And eventually, after enough practice, one begins to learn what blends well together, what can be substituted, what spices are complementary, etc. Then, while reading a cookbook, it becomes second nature to impart your own unique flavor and taste into each dish. One that is tailored to your own personal tastes. How fun is that! 

Hence this recipe.

I have added a few extras to make it my own. Because I'm a cook. And that's the way (uh huh, uh huh) I like it (uh huh, uh huh).

Sometimes, I wonder if anyone out there gets my horrible music quotes.

 

Curried Chicken Salad
Original recipe from Nourishing Traditions
Note: This is a recipe for chicken salad. Like to put on bread as a sandwich. This is not a recipe for a green salad with chicken. I just wanted to be clear on that.

You will need:
 - Meat from one whole chicken, cooked and shredded
I didn't have a whole chicken, so this time I used the shredded meat of about six chicken thighs. I simply drizzled them with olive oil, sprinkled them with salt, and let them bake until they were done. Ta da! Shredded chicken breasts would also work well for this. Use what you have or your favorite cut of chicken. It's a very forgiving recipe.
 - 1 red pepper, diced into small bits
 - 1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
 - 3-4 celery stalks, diced
 - 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
 - 2 cups curried mayonnaise:

Mix together:
 - 1 cup homemade mayonnaise
 - 1/2 cup sour cream (check the ingredients!)
 - 3 tablespoons raw vinegar (I used apple cider)
 - 3 tablespoons curry powder (or 1 1/2 tablespoons paste)
 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
 - Dash cinnamon
 - Salt to taste
 - Bread, or crackers, of your choice
 - Sprouts, avocado, tomato to top it off

Step One: Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl.

Step Two: Refrigerate until you're ready to serve. Then, serve.

Step Three: Pat yourself on the back. You are a rockstar.

Seriously, these curried chicken salad sandwiches were super easy to put together. I served them with sweet potato fries (I've been on a sweet potato kick and have made them roughly three times a week for the last month) and they complimented the sandwiches perfectly. This would be a perfect salad to make with extra home roasted chicken.

I served ours on homemade whole wheat bread (toasted) and then topped them off with avocado and sprouts. It would also be delicious on some pita chips or whole grain crackers. This recipe is begging for you to add your special taste to it - feel free to mix as you wish! Live on the edge with me! I be throwing in all kinds of things I'm not supposed to!

Like the cinnamon.

It isn't in the original recipe, but man, does it add just that perfect hint of sweetness. Even my sister, who doesn't like curry, loved this salad. I packaged some of the mayonnaise up and sent it home with her so that she could make it herself. 

I'm, like, such a good sister. It's pretty incredible.

Just ask Brynn and Tye. I'm sure they'll tell you the same.

Actually.

Scratch that.

Don't ask them.

They might reveal secrets about me that I have yet to find the nerve to reveal to my daily readers. Things that involve the Spice Girls. And platform shoes. 

Ahem. Perhaps I've already said too much.

Good day.

For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.

Curried Chicken Salad

Original recipe from Nourishing Traditions

• Meat from one whole chicken, cooked and shredded
• 1 red pepper, diced into small bits
• 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
• 3-4 celery stalks, diced
• ½ cup toasted almonds, chopped
• 2 cups curried mayonnaise

Curried Mayonnaise

• 1 cup homemade mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream (check the ingredients!)
• 3 tbsp raw vinegar (I used apple cider)
• 3 tbsp curry powder (or 1 1/2 tablespoons paste)
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• Dash cinnamon
• Salt to taste
• Bread, or crackers, of your choice
• Sprouts, avocado, tomato to top it off

1. Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve. Then, serve.

3. Pat yourself on the back. You are a rockstar.