Deli Chicken Salad

There is something about a simple salad when made deli style that makes it special. My Dad’s Royal Dell added more than mayonnaise and a bit of onion to his chicken salad. Celery, radishes, dill pickles and dill all went in. Sometimes, he added dried cranberries in the fall, toasted pecans in the winter, apples in the spring and grapes in the summer. When I made this version, I added a touch of sweetness and apples went in, as spring is here in the Low Country.

Serve alone with sliced fruit or in a pitah, on a croissant or toasted whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato, with a slice of avocado, fresh parsley and a side of pickles. And I add some hot peppers for a bit of heat! So many possibilities!

Foodie Lit

Review & Recipe

Angie is at the bottom of her life. Diagnosed with cancer, no item on her bucket list fulfilled or even thought of, she has missed being loved—no marriage, no children, no grandchildren. Then, suddenly on a train to a seaside village, Jaywick, the doors and Fate close, and Angie and 4-year-old Danny, alone, unloved and frightened, are handed a different possibility.

Hidden identities push the plot forward, add to the The Borrowed Boy's tension and ask the question who these individuals really are. There are many surprises in the answers in this wonderful novel by Deborah Klee!

Deli Chicken Salad

Serves 2

1 large chicken breast

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 stalk celery, minced

2 tablespoons onion, minced

1 radish, finely chopped

1 medium size dill pickle, chopped small

1 tablespoon dried dill

1 small apple, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pita, halved

Remove skin from chicken and debone. Finely chop meat.
Add rest of ingredients. You may also mix together in a food processor, mixing to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Place 2 tablespoons of chicken salad in a pita. Add a few cherry tomatoes, halved, lettuce, fresh parsley and a few pickles on the side.

Expandthetable suggestions

Add: 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, 2 tablespoons toasted pecans, chopped, or 2 tablespoons banana peppers, chopped, a dozen grapes, halved

No bread: You may serve on a plate with sliced apples and lettuce with a parsley garnish. Try also ruttabaga fries for a treat.

Meatless: Substitute 2 small cans of tuna fish, drained for the chicken. For vegan, use 2 cans chickpeas, drained, in place of the chicken.