CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD FOR TYLER FLORENCE FRIDAYS

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

1/2 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?"