Scary Chicken Salad (ph 1)
 

Okay...My 3yo DD named this chicken salad. I modified it from an original recipe that called for almonds (allergic), craisins & grapes (both taboo, grapes okay for ph2)...so the list is kind of bizarre but it somehow works! My VERY picky kids not only ate their meals but had SECONDS (unheard of in my house)!! Serve this salad in romaine lettuce leaves and eat like a taco. :) The kids LOVED it ~ everything in it! Shocking! Eat this salad quickly as the chickpeas will probably lose their crunchiness once they hit the refrigerator during the leftover phase. IF you actually refrigerate it to blend the favors, add the roasted chickpeas right before serving.


[B]Chicken Salad with Sundried Tomatoes & Roasted Chickpeas

-1 can of chick peas, drained, rinsed and dried.
-Cinnamon & granular Splenda
-Canola
-4 Boneless Chicken Breast (frozen ok)
-1-2 cans chicken broth
-Regular Hellman's Mayo (two large scoops..+) **enough to hold evrything together nicely**
-3 stalks celery, chopped (equal amount as onion)
-1 sweet onion (vidalla), chopped *I used a smaller amt of reg onion w/o a problem*
-~2 oz sundried tomatoes, dry & not packed in oil ~ chop these into raisin-size pieces. Do not rehydrate them ~ I was going for the "raisin" consitency. :)
-LOTS & LOTS of dried dill (2-3+ T)
-Seasoning salt, to taste
-1/2 -3/4 cup Lowfat cheddar cheese (about 1 big handful)
-Shaved/silvered almonds or any other nut (I have an allergy so I used raw sunflower seeds for a different crunch)

First ~ Make the roasted chickpeas by placing the prepped chickpeas ina covered container with some canola, granular Splenda, & cinnamon, to taste. Cover and shake to mix well. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray in a 400* oven for 45 -60 minutes and shake every 10 minutes (I actually cooked mine at 425* for ~20 minutes and they burned. They still worked well in the salad as DD was eating them burned!). Check the "sticky" recipe under Ph1 Snacks for more advice.

1.--You can either microwave the chicken or do this step ~ Bake chicken Breasts in glass baking dish (covered worked best for me) with 1-2 cans broth at 350, for approx 1 hour. Remove from oven & let chicken sit in broth until cool (to absorb broth.) This makes it very moist & tasty!
2.--Chop celery, onion, & sundried tomatoes and add together.
3.--Cube or shred cooled chicken & add LOTS of Dill
4.--Add more Dill to cel./onion and add nuts/seeds & combine with chicken
5.--Add mayo & seasoning salt/pepper to taste
6.--Add Grated Cheese & cinnamon-Splenda roasted chickpeas last. **Again, do not add the chickpeas to the salad if oyu are going to refrigerate to blend the flavors**
7.--Refrigerate for at least two hours to let the flavors blend. **I didn't do this step**
8.--Check taste....add more mayo, dill, etc., as desired.

Sounds yummy, I am definitely going to try this! I love different tastes and textures combined.

HA! I am shocked that anyone even looked at my recipe given the name, especially minutes after posting at this hour! Let me know what you think...good or bad. :) I am always looking for ways to improve, although I do not think that I need to for our family. I am still SHOCKED that my kids not only ate their meal but had seconds, considering the list of ingredients! :)