Sara Sarver

Remember when I told you about discovering celery, for the very first time in a year, at the new store in town a couple of weeks ago?  Well, I have been rationing it out so well between egg salad sandwiches, as a snack with a bit of peanut butter, and so much more, that I’ve still got a few stalks left.  (Did you know that if you wrap it up in aluminum foil, your celery can last up to 4 weeks without going limp?)  Wanna guess what else I’ve made 3 times in two weeks, simply because I can?  Chicken Salad.  And seriously, the presence of celery makes all the difference.

I promise this looks yummier in person. We have funky fluorescent tube lights in our house.

If you know me well at all, then you know I love pretty much any type of salad, whether it goes on a sandwich or it’s the kind that’s all green and eaten with a fork.  I’m a rabbit by nature, and when it’s hot outside, I prefer to eat things that are chilled rather than hot and steamy.  What better way to end yet another day in the 100′s and full sun than with a cool, light, and refreshing supper of chicken salad croissants.  Mmmmm.

So, for this week’s Tasty Tuesday, I thought I’d share with you how I make my chicken salad here in Thailand.  There are certainly other variations that I use from time to time (like adding crushed pineapple, walnuts, or finely diced cucumber), but this has to be my most frequent recipe.  It’s a little bit sweet, a little bit tart, a wee bit salty, and has a nice light crunch.

Another thing you may already know is that I don’t really measure much when I’m preparing food.  I just kind of eyeball everything, and keep that amount in my mind for the next time I cook.  So, I’ll just tell you what I use (giving amounts when I actually know what they are) and let you take it from there, ok?  This recipe makes enough for about 6 medium sized croissants.  Here goes…

• 1 pkg. (8) chicken tenders or 3 chicken breasts, poached and shredded
• 3-4 stalks of celery, split and diced
• about half of a large yellow/white/red onion (whichever you like best!)
• a generous handful of RED grapes, seeded and split (green ones just don’t have the right sweetness)
• start with a few Tablespoons of mayo or Miracle Whip (I like the MW), then adjust it to however creamy you want it to be
• a few dashes of lemon juice
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Toss it all in a bowl, then let it chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  This will allow the chicken to soften up a bit, and the flavors will get the chance to blend nicely.  Sometimes, if the mood strikes, I’ll add a little bit of dried dill or some finely chopped walnuts to this recipe as well, but never both at the same time – something about their flavors just doesn’t mesh well with each other.

Enjoy!