Here’s one of my own recipes—a tasty chicken salad recipe for all of you who want something a bit different than the ordinary chicken, celery, and mayo varieties. I usually serve this on leaf lettuce or fresh spinach accompanied by crusty bread. I’ve even had it as a sandwich; however, because of the chunks of pineapple and large pieces of chicken, it is a bit unwieldy and tends to spill out of the sandwich. I hope you like it!

 

This recipe provides 4 to 6 servings.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chicken meat, chopped—freshly cooked or leftover chicken is best, but canned chicken (2 cans) or prepackaged frozen cubed chicken can be used.
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 apple, chopped (You can remove the skin if you want to, but I leave it on because it adds texture and color.)
  • 1-15 oz. can, pineapple chunks, drained—reserve the juice!
  • 1 package (8 oz.) light cream cheese (Use the “unlight” stuff if you want to—great taste, more calories.)
  • 4 heaping tablespoons light mayonnaise (Again, use the real thing if you want to. Also, an accurate measure is not critical. I suppose if I were to measure it more precisely, it would be close to a half-cup. Of course, this depends on your conception of “heaping.” I just dig into the jar and pull out as much as will stay on the tablespoon without falling off.)
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds (Use more or less according to preference. I tend to like more: The extra crunch rattles my brain and keeps me focused.)
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder (If you’re adventurous, add a bit more.)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (more or less to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1–2 dashes salt (I usually don’t add any salt until I’m ready to eat.)

Directions:

  • In a medium-size bowl, soften the cream cheese and add the mayo. Mix well.
  • Add the pineapple juice, curry powder, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Mix well.
  • Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. It is best to adjust the flavor of the sauce before it is combined with the other ingredients.
  • In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, apple, pineapple, and almonds. Add the sauce from the other bowl and mix well.
  • Serve the chicken salad on a bed of greens.
  • Note: It is best to refrigerate the salad for a few hours, or overnight, to enhance the flavor.

Optional Ingredients: Use walnuts instead of almonds. Add whole grapes and/or diced carrots. Or, simply clean out the refrigerator and dump it in.