Curried Chicken Salad

No leisurely lunch menu is complete without at least one chicken salad recipe. It's a versatile medium--start with good quality white chicken meat and add in what you like. I've chosen to post this curried version, which is my husband and sister's favorite. You can tweak the spicy factor to your liking and play around with different textures that appeal to you. Here's the basic template:

1 lb. chicken breasts, skin and bone still intact

1 cup mayonnaise

1-2 tbls. curry powder (depending on how much spice you prefer)

1/2 cup apples, diced

1/4 raisins

2 celery stalks, diced

salt to taste

**If you prefer a low-fat option, you can substitute plain yoghurt for the mayo. If you'd like to increase the zing, try adding a tablespoon or two of sour cream.

Wash the chicken breasts and place in medium saucepan. Cover chicken breasts with water, salt, and cover with lid. When water starts to boil, lower the heat to simmer for about 30 minutes. Using a knife, cut into the chicken to check to see if it is white throughout. Poaching the chicken slowly is important, as you want the meat to be tender. It's worth cooking it more slowly than continuing to boil at a high temperature, as the slower the poaching, the more tender the chicken. When the chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove from the water and place on a cutting board. Remove the skin and discard. Separate the chicken meat from the bones and discard the bones. Using two forks, pull apart the meat so as to shred it. Once fully shredded, place the chicken in a medium-sized bowl.

The meat should be cooled before continuing with the recipe. You can let it rest a bit before continuing, as you don't want the heat of the chicken meat to do funky things to the mayo. Once at room temperature, add one cup of mayonnaise to the shredded chicken. Use your fork to whisk in the mayo, adding more mayo if you prefer moister chicken salad. Once the mayo and chicken are mixed, add the tablespoons of curry powder. As you start to mix in the curry, the salad should take on a yellowish hue, which darkens with the more powder you add. At this point, toss in the apples, celery and raisins. You may also want to add a dash of salt for extra flavor.

I love this salad on home-made raisin bread, but any bread works just as well. This is also especially tasty served in a melon half. A light and fruity lunch alternative to the basic sandwich. Bon Ap!