Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad


Here’s a question for all of you food bloggers and home cooks out there: Do you ever daydream about writing a cookbook? It’s something I do pretty frequently. In my head, I break my cookbook down into categories and list out the recipes that would go in each section. I realize that there’s a lot more work involved in the process than that, but hey, it’s fun to dream. Maybe one of these days I’ll actually do it! :)

If I were writing a cookbook, this is definitely one of the recipes that would be in it. A few months ago, I had some cashews on hand that I’d bought for another recipe, and I was trying to think of some creative things to do with what I had left – rather than feeding them all to Andrew for a snack, which was the choice that he advocated. For some reason I thought of using cashews in chicken salad instead of walnuts, and adding in some strawberries instead of grapes. I thought the flavors would work really well together, and they absolutely did. The salty cashews and sweet strawberries and tangy, sweet dressing made this variation on chicken salad incredibly delicious. I served ours on wheat toast with bacon, and I loved the additional salty, smoky element that the bacon provided. I’m incredibly proud of this recipe!

Strawberry Cashew Chicken Salad

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1 cup strawberries
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Add chicken, cashews, strawberries, and green onions. Serve on bread or over lettuce. Refrigerate before and after serving.

3 comments:

Tammy said...

I have always dreamed of having my own cookbook! Wouldn't that be SO fun! This recipe looks wonderful, thanks for sharing!

Natalie said...

this sounds amazing! love your additions to the recipe, I want to try this!

Monica H said...

I can tell you now that I'd definitely buy your cookbook! :-)