How to Use a Whole Chicken Three Ways--Part II, Curried Chicken Salad

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had about a week when I craved chicken and chicken skin. My husband thought I had gone crazy because I normally won't touch chicken skin with a ten-foot pole, but that craving only lasted a week and was followed by a bodily moratorium on poultry. I'd only ever heard of people craving food, not rejecting it, but I wasn't worried since I seemed sickened only by poultry (which made Thanksgiving and Christmas a lot of fun, by the way!). From about the 8th week until the day after I gave birth, not a bite of poultry passed my lips. The day after my daughter was born, I was fine with it again...almost. Nowadays, I just cannot eat microwaved chicken. I don't know what it is, but the microwave changes the taste for me.

Which leads me to chicken leftovers...what to do with them since a quick microwaved leftover meal is now out of the question? My solution? A chicken salad with a twist--curry powder. I found the recipe in a cookbook focusing on the busy parent I found for a few dollars somewhere. I can't remember the name of the book (sorry!), but I swear I'll look it up when I return to Kentucky and back to my cookbooks!

My husband loves this recipe and so do I. The garlicky, herbed chicken mixed with the curry mayo and the crunchiness of the apples and onions create a flavorful, moist combo that gets better after a day or so. It's also a very forgiving recipe. Don't have 2 cups of chicken? Make it with one. Don't have a green apple? Make it with a red one. (I had to use a Pink Lady for this go around, and it tasted great.) No mango chutney? Add a little apricot jam. Try different types of onions until you hit one that works for you. I normally put yellow onion in it because that's what I have on hand, but red tastes even better, and I think that green onions would add a mellower flavor and punch up the color.

Enjoy!

Curried Chicken Salad with Green Apple

1/4 cup curried mayo (See below)
1 Tbl minced onion
2 cups diced chicken
1/2 tart green apple
2 Tbl mango chutney (optional--but it really does add great flavor!)
Baby salad greens or arugula

Mix all ingredients (except lettuce) and serve on bread as a sandwich or on a bed of greens as a salad.

Curried Mayo

1/4 cup mayo
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp curry powder

Combine ingredients and mix well.