Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Sometimes I feel as though the more I cook, the lazier I get. That may be a bit of a stretch, but my point is, good food doesn’t have to take forever. Or include 20+ ingredients. Phew, right?

When I make meals like this, I think to myself, “I need more meals like THIS!” Because when I have more time in the evenings, I can do more productive things like workout, spend time with the hubs, blog, walk the dog, lesson plan, read, catch up on TV (okay that’s not productive), and I would say clean, but let’s face it, I’m more likely to do some calisthenics, which I hate doing.

Tasty…check! Quick…check! Simple…check! Healthy…check! Great as leftovers…bonus!

Chicken salad is something I recommend to my patients a lot, for all of the above reasons. Plus, it’s high in protein and something you can keep on hand for a busy week or…just because it’s delicious. I know this fall when I’m busy teaching during the dinner time hours, I will be looking for more recipes just like this one. Busy people, rejoice and enjoy!

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Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches slightly adapted from Healthy Food for Living

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup reduced-fat olive-oil based mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder
pinch of Kosher salt
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
5 slices romaine lettuce
10 slices 100% whole wheat bread

Directions:

Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Slide chicken breast in, partially cover saucepan with a lid, and reduce heat to a simmer. Poach for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken from the broth and let cool on a cutting board. When cool, chop or shred chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, cherries, and apples in a small bowl. Stir to combine and coat the fruit. Stir in the cooled chopped chicken. Taste, and add salt if desired. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Layer the lettuce and chicken salad onto a slice of bread, and top with remaining piece of bread. Yield: 5 sandwiches.

Nutrition Information (per sandwich): 367 calories; 7.6 g. fat; 49 mg. cholesterol; 686 mg. sodium; 48.4 g. carbohydrate; 8.2 g. fiber; 30.6 g. protein

Result: A sweet and Indian curry twist on the traditional chicken salad. Using half Greek yogurt and half low-fat mayonnaise cuts calories and fat while increasing protein – and creaminess. The Granny Smith apples add a tart crunch that keeps this chicken salad tasting fresh day, after day. Enjoy this chicken salad in the ever famous sandwich form, or stack on crackers or a crisp bed of greens!

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Yesterday was an awesome day for many reasons…

• A dialysis patient of mine got a kidney transplant over the weekend and is doing wonderful!!!! 😀 I’ve been working in the world of dialysis for over a year, and this is the 2nd transplant I’ve seen come about. It’s big, exciting stuff!
• Mid Ohio Nutrition Specialists officially opened our office yesterday – we are feeling rather accomplished!
• My rental car is awesome…and not the Titan monster truck they wanted to give me at first – phew. But it’s not the 2011 Camero that I wanted, either…
• I had a killer elliptical workout – I didn’t talk myself out of a workout even though it didn’t happen until after dinner and cranked out 3 hard miles in 33:45 on level 7 of 10.

Questions: What was the highlight of your yesterday? Do you like chicken salad?

Be well,