Curried Chicken Salad with Raisins and Almonds

If you are looking for a delicious lunch or light dinner, this Curried Chicken Salad recipe will do the trick.  I found the basic recipe in one of my old "Cooks" magazines and made a few modifications.  The honey, raisins and apple add a touch of sweetness that really brings out the flavor of the curry. I toasted the almonds on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes at 350 degrees in the oven before chopping them to fully develop their flavor.  This chicken salad is great on a sandwich or over a bed of lettuce with ripe sliced cherry tomatoes and Vidalia onion, if you like.  Absolutely delicious!  Don’t believe me?  Ask Miss Ruth!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 teaspoons canola oil
2/3 cup water
salt & pepper
1/3 cup Duke's mayonaisse
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice (Wegman's carries Meyer lemons, YEA!)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 Tbs honey
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
2 scallions, minced
1/3 cup raisins
3 tablespoons almonds, toasted
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Cherry or grape tomatoes

Directions:

Dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully add chicken breasts and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until browned on one side. Turn the chicken over, add the water and cover. Cook over medium heat until chicken is completely cooked through and the center reads 165 degrees with a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken pieces from water and when cool enough to touch, shred chicken with two forks and set aside to cool.  In large bowl, combine the Duke’s mayo, fresh lemon juice, curry powder, honey and season lightly with salt and fresh ground pepper. Stir in the chopped celery, scallions, raisins, chopped toasted almonds, cooled chicken and cilantro until well-combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour to allow the flavors to come together. It tastes even better the next day!