Not Your "Run of the Mill" Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad

2 large chicken breasts (coarsely chopped)

2 stalks celery (finely chopped)

1 gala apple (peeled, seeded, and finely chopped)

¼ c dried cranberries

¼ c sliced almonds

¼ c mayonnaise

¼ c sour cream

1 tbs fresh curley parsley (chopped)

1 tbs fresh dill

1 tbs fresh chives (chopped)

Salt

Preheat oven to 350. Rinse chicken breasts, salt both sides, place in baking dish, and bake covered until they reach 190 degrees (about 30 minutes.)

Mix mayonnaise and sour cream together, add parsley, dill, and chives, and stir.

Clean and finely chop the celery and apple. Place in mixing bowl. Coursely chop cooked chicken and let cool. Combine with celery and apple, and mix well. Add the herb dressing, and fold in cranberries and almonds. Spoon over spring mix. Serve with your choice of bread.  I’ll have mine on a croissant with a slice of tomato, please.

I'm a “daddy’s girl," and while I have precious few memories of good times with my dad growing up, I can guarantee you I not only remember, but I cherish, every single one. You see, Daddy was “absent” for most of my life. Mama, my two sisters, and I lost him to his 50 year struggle with alcoholism. I don’t call it a “battle” because that would imply that he was fighting it when he absolutely was not fighting alcoholism. He was actually having a good ole time with it. I tell you this with a light heart because I never wished my dad anything other than the happy life he has had. I use the word “struggle” because Daddy’s alcoholism led him to situations that caused him and anyone around him angst. This resulted in his inability to participate productively within a stable, healthy family unit. (Wow, I’m impressed at how well I cleaned that up!)

Genetics are strong.  Oddly enough, even with my very limited exposure to my dad, I share quite a bit in common with him. Among our commonalities is a love of travel. Now daddy is a loner. He is a mild-mannered, unassuming, fearless, country, southern, ex-Marine. While we both love the educational aspects of travel we do it differently. For example, he hitchhiked across the country… twice. With a chuckle, he’ll tell you, “No sense a tryin’ to tell me my mother’s not smart.  I wasn’t locked up more than two hours before she’d figured out how to bail me out of jail from all over the country --without ever leavin’ her house in Galax.”

Okay, so Daddy and I might not make good travel buddies, but we both love it nonetheless.  I fly across the country and rent a car for regional tours or day trips.  Along my way I am likely to enjoy some local dining. I usually do a lot of asking around to find out where the locals have lunch. The idea is to get off of the tourist track where I can feel the heartbeat of the community. I had great luck finding such a place while visiting Laguna Beach, California.

The recipe that I’m sharing is not the same chicken salad that I had at the corner bistro amid the art galleries adjacent to the beautiful, wide beachfront along the Pacific Coast in Laguna. However, it is that travel experience that inspired me to open my mind to see all of the possibilities with chicken salad which, ultimately, led me to creating the recipe I've shared today.