Recipes: Chicken salad veronique

CHICKEN SALAD VERONIQUE

Serves 4.

The combination of green tarragon, green celery and green grapes not only looks great, but the flavors are wonderful together. If you like crunch, add a small handful of toasted pecans. From "The Herbal Kitchen," by Jerry Traunfeld.

• 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

• Good olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

•¹/₂c. mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann's

• 1¹/₂tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves

• 1 c. small-diced celery (2 ribs)

• 1 c. green grapes, cut in half

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool.

When the chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4-inch dice. Place the chicken in a bowl; add the mayo, tarragon leaves, celery, grapes, 11/2 to 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and toss well. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 378 Fat 26 g Sodium 387 mg

Carbohydrates 9 g Saturated fat 4 g Calcium 36 mg

Protein 27 g Cholesterol 84 mg Dietary fiber 1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: ½ fruit, 4 lean meat, 2½ fat.

CHERRY TOMATO, MELON AND MINT SALAD

Serves 4.

The riper and sweeter the fruit, the better this simple salad will be.

• 2 c. melon balls, scooped from ripe melon, such as cantaloupe or honeydew, at room temperature

• 1 c. ripe cherry tomato halves, at room temperature

• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

• 3 tbsp. coarsely chopped spearmint

• Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

Gently toss all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. That's it. This salad is best served within an hour of assembling it.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 38 Fat 0 g Sodium 17 mg

Carbohydrates 9 g Saturated fat 0 g Calcium 21 mg

Protein 1 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 2 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: ½ fruit.

FRESH LEMONADE

Makes about 1¹/₂quarts.

From "The Herbal Kitchen," by Jerry Traunfeld.

• 1 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (5 to 6 juicy lemons)

•¹/₂to³/₄c. superfine sugar, to taste

• 1 c. crushed ice

• 4 c. water

Directions

Place lemon juice, sugar, crushed ice and water in a blender and process until completely smooth. Pour over ice to serve.

Nutrition information per 1-cup serving:

Calories 73 Fat 0 g Sodium 12 mg

Carbohydrates 19 g Saturated fat 0 g Calcium 9 mg

Protein 0 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 0 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 other carb.

GRILLED SALMON SALAD

Serves 8.

Next time you make salmon for supper, make too much. And you'll be ready to pull this salad together in no time. From "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," by Ina Garten.

• 2 lbs. fresh salmon fillets, with the skin on

• Good olive oil for grilling

• Kosher salt and ground pepper for seasoning

• 1 c. small-diced celery (3 medium ribs)

•¹/₂c. small-diced red onion (1 small onion)

• 2 tbsp. minced fresh dill

• 2 tbsp. capers, drained

• 2 tbsp. raspberry vinegar

• 2 tbsp. good olive oil

•¹/₂tsp. kosher salt

•¹/₂tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions

Prepare the grill with hot coals. Cut the salmon fillets crosswise into 4-inch-wide slices. Rub them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush the cooking surface with oil to prevent the fish from sticking.

Cook the fillets on the grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until they are rare. Be sure they are still rare on the inside.

Remove to a plate, wrap with plastic, and chill in the fridge until cold and very firm.

When the fillets are cold, remove any skin that hasn't come off during grilling. Break the fillets into very large flakes and put them into a bowl, adding any juice that has collected at the bottom of the plate.

Add the celery, red onions, dill, capers, raspberry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 306 Fat 18 g Sodium 310 mg

Carbohydrates 2 g Saturated fat 4 g Calcium 30 mg

Protein 32 g Cholesterol 100 mg Dietary fiber 1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 4½ lean meat, ½ fat.