.PNG)
I mentioned in this post that I had once had chicken salad that had bananas in it. I received a lot of responses from people who had never heard of such a thing, but they don’t call me “the memory machine” for nothing, so I immediately started to dig. I went through piles of my mother’s recipes, cookbooks I had inherited from a friend, cookbooks that I inherited from my grandmother, and piles of recipes that I had accumulated on my own ever since setting up housekeeping back when dinosaurs roamed the earth; eventually I found it. I have no idea as to the source other than to say it’s from “family friend Lorraine.” Personally, I think this chicken salad is magnificent. It is so different from the kind of chicken salad that is routinely served. It is indeed tropical and refreshing; light yet complex, and fruity with just the right amount of spice, making this version uniquely delicious.
Tropical Chicken Salad
2 c. cubed cooked chicken*
1 c. chopped celery
¾-1 c. Duke’s mayonnaise
1-1½ t. curry powder
Seasoned
salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
1 c. Melissa’s organic pineapple, cubed, drained**
1 large firm banana, sliced (I cubed mine)
1 14-oz. can mandarin oranges, drained**
½ c. sweetened shredded coconut
¾ c. cashew halves or macadamias
Place cooked and cubed chicken and celery into a large bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine mayonnaise and curry powder; add to chicken mixture and mix well. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Just before serving, fold in the pineapple, bananas,
oranges and coconut; toss gently. Serve on salad greens, if desired. Sprinkle
with nuts.
*Preheat oven to 350° F. Place breasts of chicken on a low-sided baking pan
(read: jelly roll pan), rub with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt
and pepper. Bake for 35 to 55 minutes until chicken is done and juices
run clear. The reason for the wide range of roasting times is because the
length of cooking depends upon the thickness of your chicken breast. Remove
chicken from the oven, allow to cool, remove skin and cut chicken into neat
little cubes; set aside.
**Drain! Drain! Drain! Put them in a salad spinner if need be. Too much
moisture will make the dish watery.
You know we will have to try this one! Thank you!
ReplyDeletePatti,
ReplyDeleteI do have to say that the recipe is very different from any chicken salad I've ever seen, but it sounds interesting. Glad all the flavors came together for you!
I always miss my Mom even more when I see a recipe like this one that I know she would love. She loved fruit in her chicken salad, and I know we would both enjoy this one. Bananas are not something I would have considered in chicken salad, but the thought of it makes my mouth water.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about your unique chicken salad, especially the part where you talk about searching for the recipe. The pictures remind me of Gourmet, palm trees and all. :)
ReplyDeleteIt never hurts to try something new...unless you're skydiving and the chute doesn't open!😕 And a "firm" banana would be a MUST for this.
ReplyDelete