Healthy and Easy Sonoma Chicken Salad

It’s no secret I’ve struggled with cooking chicken. I enjoy eating chicken, but when it comes to preparing it, I’m often at a loss. I chalk it up to the fact that I didn’t eat meat for 16 years and grew so comfortable cooking as a vegetarian that once I saw the light (or started eating meat again) I was already stuck in my ways. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t try. And try I do.

Last night was a small milestone. It seems insignificant, but involved cooking chicken in a new way that I’ve never tried before. I was making a Sonoma chicken salad and I decided to boil the meat. It turned out to be as easy as can be and the recipe was delicious. Here you go:

Catherine’s Sonoma Chicken Salad:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 3 cups of water
• 3.5 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup of low fat mayo
• 1 cup of low fat Greek yogurt
• 2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1.5 cups of finely diced celery
• 1.5 cups of quartered grapes
• 1 cup of diced apples
• 1 cup of diced toasted pecans
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Chicken:

1. Bring the water and broth to a rolling boil. 
2. Cut the chicken breasts in half (will cook easier)
3. Put in chicken breasts and bring to a simmer
4. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through)
5. Put chicken into an ice bath (to cool off) and begin to shred into bite-size piece

 Dressing:

1. Mix the mayo, yogurt and mustard in a bowl
2. Mix in grapes, apples, celery, pecans and shredded chicken
3. Add salt and pepper to taste

Serve over a crisp salad, or on a pretzel roll. Enjoy!