Cindy's Chicken Salad

     I have been eating chicken salad for every "event" that my mom and aunts have hosted over some 50+ years.  I have also included it in many menus for many events I have hosted. Over the years I have tweaked it but it remains virtually the same. The beauty of this salad is it can be quadrupled or halved and it retains the same flavors. Also this is a salad that can be eaten on bread or on lettuce leaves. It can be a one dish meal or a nice side dish.  I often serve this salad with a fruit salad and a pasta salad. Or...in the fall and winter, some potato or pumpkin soup.  Just so you know, you can use the roast chickens that the stores sell now days. It makes it a FAST salad. But I learned something watching the Cooking channel and I now use this procedure almost exclusively the night before when I am going to poach the chicken myself.

This recipe makes enough for 10 servings with leftovers if you are lucky.  Much better the next day.  :)

Chicken Prep

The night before
1 whole raw chicken, rinsed and cleaned out, covered in water to which 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of salt have been diluted.

Chicken Poaching Water

1 whole chicken
3 bay leaves
4 smashed cloves of garlic
1 onion quartered
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP whole peppers
The night before


1. Drain the chicken.
2. Put the raw whole chicken in a pot of water to cover the chicken.
3. Put 3 bay leaves
4. 1 tsp whole pepper.
5. 1 TBSP salt
6. 4 garlic cloves, smashed.
7. 1 large onion cut in 1/4's
8.  Cook for about 1.5 hours in the following manner.  Bring water to a boil and then drop to a simmer.  Cover the pot. Check chicken.  Chicken is done if you can wiggle the leg and it comes away from the body. Cool the chicken.
Ingredients:
 Debone the chicken and cut into small chunks. (Pull the chicken away from the bones.  Remove the fat and skin.)
3 ribs of celery diced
1 cup of green grapes cut in half
1 cup red grapes cut in half
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 green onions diced
1/2 cup cashews
1 small jar of marinated artichokes.
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1 tsp fresh tarragon leaves chopped

Dressing
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
1 cup of plain yogurt
1/2 cup light mayo (I like the mayo that has lime juice in it.)
1 large (heaping ) TBSP Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp. curry  powder
1 heaping TBSP of Agave syrup

1.  Combine all of the above and whisk.
2. Taste and adjust s/p.

Directions:
Pour dressing on the chicken and fruit and toss carefully.