In which the world of culinary hedonism is explored with a cup and a half of curiosity, a heaping tablespoon of passion and a dash of clumsiness.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Twelvth Post: Last-minute luncheon of fruit and chicken salad


Jenny and I have been trying to get together all summer. When we finally determined that Thursday would work, we set our plans for a lunch at my new place. I needed a lunch that I could put together quickly but still have it look festive and yummy.
.
Here's what you'll need for this summery plate:
.
Fruit salad:

~ Seasonal fruit (I chose blueberries, strawberries, one banana and the salvaged part of a nectarine that I dropped on my way home from the store)
~ About a tablespoon of honey
.
Chicken salad:

~ Baked chicken (I chose Tyson's natural chicken breast, pre-cooked and packaged!)
~ Dried cranberries (raisens, dried cherries or chopped apple would work just as well)
~ Celery (about 3 stalks)
~ A good amount of Miracle Whip
~ One leaf lettuce per serving (optional)
.
On the side:

~ Strawberry yogurt
~ Mint leaf garnishes (0ptional)
.
:::PAUSE:::
.
Everything in the kitchen is easier, I'm discovering, if you have the right utensils. And this meal was made into an under-20-minute prep thanks to a whacking great Crocodile Dundee type of knife. I whipped out a cutting board and my knife and went to town. In between preps, I'd rinse the blade and go back to work. One knife, one chopping block. Easy, peasy, one-two-threesy.
.
:::UNPAUSE:::
.
So get out your chopping block and your awesome knife. You'll need two largish bowls for each salad prep. For the chicken salad:
.
Dice about 3 stalks of celery
Throw the cranberries in the bowl with it
Coarsely chop the chicken and toss it in
You can season it with a little onion salt and pepper, if you wish
Add desired amount of Miracle Whip and stir to blend it all together.
.
Chill in the fridge until ready to serve on your plate on top of the lettuce. Now rinse your knife and cutting board, and back to work!
.
For the fruit salad:
.
Toss blueberries into the bowl
Slice strawberries into slivers
Cut up the banana
Add any other fruit (like my poor bruised-on-one-end nectarine)
Drizzle a bit of honey over it - a tiny amount - and toss the salad in the dish
.
Serve with yogurt for dipping! The nice thing about this meal is I was able to put the plates together and let them chill in the fridge until we were ready to eat.
.
I paired this lunch with organic lemonade - and paired it later on with a fabulous slice of strawberry-apple pie from Jenny!
.
And that, my friends, is a quick luncheon fit for a month's worth of catching up!
.
Yours in the love of food and girl talk,
AL.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

No comments:

Post a Comment