Friday, July 30, 2010

Chicken Salad Craze

Note: This is an old post I finally got around to putting up. I started it months ago!

Will and I both tend toward food crazes, so sometimes meals around here might come off as a tad repetitive. Not to us! I am currently in a chicken salad craze. I have a favorite chicken salad, with grapes and walnuts, but that is for another day. Today I want to share my recipe re-creation success. Union Market (aka Union Mark-up) sells a delicious curried chicken salad that I have recently been obsessed with. I took some notes last time I bought some and successfully recreated it two nights ago. Here is a picture, although it doesn't do it justice:
Will is demonstrating how to fill a pita; Mona is wondering how she can get involved.

CURRY CHICKEN SALAD (a la Union Market)
  • 2 large whole chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
  • 1/4 cup or more raisins, soaked in warm water for at least an hour
  • 3/4 cup shredded carrots (I buy the bagged kind b/c I don't have a food processor)
  • 2 whole green onions
  • 1/8 to 1/4 cup red onions (to taste)
  • 1 stalk celery
  • parsley to taste
Chop and combine the above in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together:
  • a scant 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • a generous 1/4 cup yogurt (you can vary the ratio; the point is to have a half cup total)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp sugar (I think I used brown)
  • 1.5 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • a dash turmeric (to make it yellower!)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Taste the dressing for seasoning and adjust. I bet it would be great with a dash of cayenne! Gradually mix the dressing into the chicken mixture until it reaches the desired level of "dressed-ness." Great served with pitas and lettuce.

2 comments:

  1. That sounds so good. I have been making the other chicken salad, substituting other fruit for the grapes. It is so yummy with the walnuts. This one sounds good too. Perhaps I'll make it for the block party.

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  2. I used to make Andrew curry chicken salad when he wanted something spicy and I was tired of Mexican food...we'll have to bring back the tradition and try this! It looks great!
    BTW - Chicken salad is another food that can go anywhere - chinese, thai, mexican, etc.

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