GOURMET CHICKEN SALAD

I have said before that I love chicken salad, especially ones with fruit. When I made the Lemon-Honey Chicken a few days ago, I couldn't get all of the chicken breasts in the baking dish. I ended up cooking a piece in some water on top of the stove til done. 

When I saw this recipe for Gourmet Chicken Salad in Dawn Hill's Down Home Cookin' Without the Down Home Fat cookbook, I thought I would use the piece I had boiled and then some of the leftover chicken from the Lemon-Honey Chicken. 

I didn't have all of the ingredients called for and just substituted what I had or liked instead. It was really delicious and definitely a "keeper".

GOURMET CHICKEN SALAD

2       cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
1/2    cup apples unpeeled and chopped
25     raisins - chopped (I quartered red grapes to measure a rounded 1/4 cup - could use as much as 1/2 cup)
1/4    cup celery - chopped
1        tablespoon chopped chives
1/2    cup fat-free Miracle Whip Salad Dressing (I used reduced fat)
1        teaspoons sesame seeds (I used sunflower kernels)
2       teaspoons lemon juice
2       teaspoons brown sugar
2       teaspoons ground ginger
dash of salt - optional

For dressing mix together chives, Miracle Whip, sesame seeds or sunflower kernels, lemon juice, brown sugar, ginger, and salt, in a medium large bowl. Mix until well blended.

Add chicken breast, apples, raisins or grapes, and celery.

Toss until well covered with dressing.






Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Different ways to serve:

* Serve on top of a pretty bed of assorted freshly torn lettuce leaves.

* Serve opened faced or on lightly toasted bread. (or croissant) 






* Use 1/2 of a cantaloupe or honeydew melon. Cut the melon in half. Clean out the seeds of the melon. With a knife, cut the end of the melon flat giving the bowl shape a flat surface to sit on. Stuff cantaloupe with salad. (Sounds pretty.)

* Perfectly served rolled in a tortilla as a wrap, too.