Did you ever just have a craving for something that came on all at once and had to be satisfied ASAP? That's how it was last weekend when I started thinking about a great curried chicken salad sandwich I had at a now defunct cafe. I'm not really a big fan of curry and I eat almost no Indian food, but there it was. I wanted to recreate that lovely chicken salad I'd had down to the contrast of smooth dressing and crunchy chopped nuts.Though I find it agonizingly slow, I hopped on to Food Network's site and decided that Tyler was my man for the job. Up popped a very simple recipe for curried chicken salad sandwich with almonds and raisins. A quick peek into the larder assured me that I had everything but the raisins. No problem--dried cherries would not only do, they'd be even better.
I made a few adjustments to the recipe to make the salad more healthful and would tweak it again in the future by decreasing the amount of lemon juice. That said, it was a delicious salad, filled with contrasts, and was as satisfying over lettuce as it was as a sandwich.
Serves 4
1 tbs olive oil (really, Tyler, 3 tbs is way more than you need!)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup light mayonnaise (Tyler used 1/2 cup of the regular)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 lemon juiced (I'm very strong; maybe I squeeze every last drop; it was too much)
1/4 cup chopped, blanched almonds, toasted
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped (I was out of raisins)
a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium high heat (I use my Circulon, nonstick skillet in the oven; I simply wrap the handle in aluminum foil). Sprinkle the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Put them in the pan in a single layer and brown for 2 minutes on each sie. Put the skillet in the oven and roast until the chicken is just cooked through--12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
Chop the cooled cooked chicken and put it into a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss (I mixed them in a measuring cup, then added the dressing to the chicken). Season to taste.
I love Tyler's recipes because they are straightforward, but the taste is usually there. With a little tweaking, they can even be healthy.
If you haven't already done so, please visit Tyler Florence Fridays for the weekly round up. This site, hosted by Debbie of Kahakai Kitchen,Megan of My Baking Adventures , and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies is a great site to pick up some great new ideas to answer that age-old question, "What's for dinner?"






*********************




With this dish, Tyler has "made his bones" with me. There's nothing like a well-prepared dish of spaghetti carbonara to make you swoon. This is a dish best NOT ordered in most restaurants. What I've been served has too often been spaghetti in a pool of Alfredo sauce with some bacon added. Yuck...and yuck again. Since Larry doesn't like it when I grill the waiters, I've just about stopped ordering this dish out. When I do make it at home, I generally use a lightened version, which will almost satisfy. This recipe is not lightened and it won't leave you with that almost satisfied feeling. This dish, simple though it is, is full flavored and in your face. I could eat it at least once a week, but won't. In fact, it's ironic that it's appearing here today since I am recommitting to lighter eating in honor of bathing suit season creeping up on us. I did, however, enjoy it immensely. A caveat: spaghetti carbonara just doesn't reheat well, so invite some friends or plan on eating very heartily.



