Chicken Salad

Often times I try to put a little more effort into my lunches that I bring to work with me. I don’t want to eat frozen meals; I don’t know what kind of preservatives and such are put into them. I usually will make a little extra for dinner so I can bring some leftovers or I’ll make some kind of salad that I can bring for most days of the week.  This week I made the most amazing Chicken Salad that I have had in a long time. I got the recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs, Smitten Kitchen. The recipes are usually pretty simple and are always delicious. This one is no exception. It’s a Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad. I also try and use what ingredients I already have at home. Since I didn't have Tarragon Vinegar and did have White Wine Vinegar, I used that. I also didn't have fresh Tarragon so instead used some parsley. I highly recommend this one. I’ve been putting it on a mini wheat tortilla wrap with some lettuce. I only used two chicken breasts and it made enough for about six wraps.

A tip I actually found on Pinterest was a tip to help keep fresh herbs longer. It is to chop them all at once and put them in a Tupperware container to put into the freezer. It actually works, my fresh herbs do not get all moldy and definitely last much longer; plus fresh herbs just taste so much better when cooking!

Here is the link for the chicken salad and below is the recipe I used which is slightly different.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/10/cranberry-walnut-chicken-salad/

Cranberry-Walnut-Chicken-Salad
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

2 chicken breasts baked with salt, pepper and olive oil. Cut into cubes.

2 to 3 handfuls of walnuts chopped

1/2 cup celery rib, diced into small pieces

1 small shallot finely chopped

2 handfuls of dried cranberries, chopped

3 large tablespoons of mayonnaise

3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve just the chicken salad as is, or on wheat tortilla, or on crackers would be delicious as well.