African Chicken Salad
I admit, traditional chicken salads don’t turn me on–they’re more like Mayonnaise with a Bit of Meat than an actual Chicken Salad. This one, though, is a treat for the tongue as well as the eyes: an African-influenced spice mix gives the chicken an unexpected zing while the mixed baby greens provide a cool backdrop. (Other nice additions would be cucumbers and zucchinis.) If you’d like the salad’s overall character to be a bit sweeter, add dried cranberries or dress it with a fruit-infused vinegar like white balsamic with pear. The options are endless! (Just don’t drown it in dressing/mayonnaise.)
The spice mix also compliments turkey, so the next time you have holiday meal leftovers, re-heat them with a pinch of this–you’ll have a completely new dish!
For the African spice mix, combine in a jar:
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
grating of fresh black pepper
scant 1/8 tsp. cardamom (this is a very strong spice, so if you aren’t familiar with it, you may wish to add a quick dash rather than a scant 1/8 tsp.)
To prepare the chicken:
[Note: one boneless, skinless half-breast serves two for lunch. Increase serving size as necessary.]
Rinse the chicken and trim off fat. Rub about 1/2 tsp. of the spice mix onto each side of the raw chicken and transfer it to a non-stick pan. Add a splash of peanut oil (unrefined peanut oil will lend the finished product a distinctly nutty flavor) or olive oil and sauteé at medium-high for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to make sure it isn’t sticking. Reduce heat to medium, put a lid on the pan and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. (Providing a bit of steam to cook the meat will help keep it tender.) Check to see if the bottom is browning and if the meat looks as though it’s cooked halfway up. If it is/has, carefully flip the breast over and continue to cook, covered, for another 5 minutes.
When the meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear, remove the breast from the pan and slice it into long strips. Top lettuce with the chicken (and any other vegetables you’d like) and drizzle it with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. A grind of sea salt will set off the flavors and add a bit of crunch.
Enjoy!
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