"SOUTHERN-STYLE" CHICKEN SALAD IN OVERHEATED NEW ENGLAND

Summer has arrived with a vengeance.  Highs in the 90s with high humidity makes the heat index somewhere around 100.  While this is the norm for my home state of Louisiana and for a much longer stretch than we will experience it this week, it is a little harder to take in New England.  I'm a southern girl and I like my air "conditioned".  This year seems to be a little easier for me to take the heat.  I've been cold for quite some time and I know the days of this heat wave are numbered.  There are only going to be 2 in this particular stretch with temps falling into the more enjoyed 70s by the weekend.  Now that's a summer I can deal with.  While I'm sure this isn't the last of the heat for the summer, I'm determined to try to enjoy it this year.  It will be cold again before I know it and I will be wishing for the lazy warm days of summer as I'm watching it snow.  Thankfully the air at my work is conditioned so having to dress up won't be quite so uncomfortable. 

When the heat is on, heating up my kitchen or having the love of my life stand over the hot grill on the deck without cover is not appealing at all.   It's salad weather for sure.  I have been craving southern-style chicken salad and I've learned that my cravings should not be ignored.  It's been a challenge balancing my weight loss journey with those cravings.  Sometimes I've been successful and sometimes not so much.  I think I have a winner here.  At least, it was for me.

Every southern cook has their own ideas of what chicken salad should include and how it should taste.  I'm certainly no different.  I like mine without grapes or other fruit....without nuts....with mayo and a touch of (gasp!) Miracle Whip.   I like sweet pickle relish, boiled eggs, chopped onion and a touch of something spicy.  Sometimes that spicy something is finely chopped jalapenos; but more often than not, it's a touch of Sriracha and/or Cholula.  That's what I used today.

I was very careful with how I prepared this one since I wanted to be sure and count the Weight Watchers points for each serving.  I even went so far as to make two batches - one for David and one for me - so that I could more accurately count the points per serving.  Here are the measurements and ingredients for my lightened up version:

4 oz. Chicken Breast, skin removed

1/4 cup Vidalia Onion, chopped

1 large boiled egg + 1 egg white, grated

1 Tbsp. Miracle Whip

1 Tbsp. Lite Mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. Sweet Pickle Relish

1 Tbsp. Chobani 0% Plain Yogurt

Sriracha, Cholula, Salt and Pepper, to taste

Garnish with chopped fresh chives

Boil chicken breasts in salted water with bay leaves until done.  Cool and shred the chicken.  Grate egg and egg white into the bowl with the chicken.  Add diced onions and mix gently but thoroughly.  Add rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Enjoy!

For the entire amount, I came up with 10 points plus. That's not bad for the entire amount of chicken salad; but, it was way too much for me to eat at one sitting.  I hollowed out a tomato and stuffed it with half of the salad and enjoyed it with fresh romaine lettuce and my new processed food addiction - Special K Cracker Chips - which added an additional 3 pts.  Dinner came in at 8 points and I'm stuffed.  Since I wasn't greedy with dinner, I get to enjoy the other half of the salad for lunch tomorrow.  I will be looking forward to that.

So......I'm curious.

Do you like chicken salad? 

 If so, how do you make yours?

I'm always looking for new ideas.

Thanks so much for stopping by.   I hope you are staying cool wherever you are.

Chili Garlic Taco Chicken

When my craving for buffalo wings met my love for Mexican food and ran into the road block of my weight loss journey, this yummy chicken was born.  It wasn't truly "Buffalo" in flavor, however, it was spicy and tangy and oh so delicious. It was so easy too.  It was perfect for a quick weeknight meal. 

I de-skinned some chicken legs.  I coated them liberally with Cholula Chili Garlic hot sauce and rolled them in Taco Bell taco seasoning.  Into a 400 degree oven they went until they were done.   With additional chili garlic sauce on the side, it was just what I needed to conquer the craving.

Sooooo good!