Recipe: Curried Chicken Salad

I've decided to do another recipe post, because this is a recipe that I am constantly making, and continually craving. The mixture of sweet fruits with spicy curry makes this chicken salad so unique and tasty.

There is this little restaurant/antique shop called Anna's Temptations which serves a really great curried chicken salad. Thus, the inspiration for this recipe was born.

I like mine extra spicy and tend to add a lot of curry, so depending on your love of the spice, you might want to add it in a little at a time. You probably don't need two kinds of curry powders either, but if you've got em...

Also you should note that this is the first time I've ever made this and actually made a note of what the quantities were - typically I just eyeball it and adjust until it tastes right. However I thought if I was going to write this out as an actually recipe it might not be very well received if I just said, "Here is what you need, put in as much or as little as you want."

I've also substituted apple for pear, walnuts for almonds, dried cranberries for raisins - it's really all good.

You will need:
1 1/2 pounds of split chicken breasts
1 apple (I like Gala)
2 ribs of celery
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sweet curry powder
1/2 teaspoon hot curry powder (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil chicken breasts for approximately 20 minutes. (You can add a rib of celery and a small onion while it cooks to make broth for soup. Which is like a bonus meal.)

2. Wait for your chicken to cool enough that you can handle it, and take all of the meat off the bone. Cut into bite size pieces. Throw into a mixing bowl.

3. Wash, peel, and chop the apple and celery. Put that in with the chicken.

4. Coarsely chop the walnuts, put those in too.

5. Add the dried cranberries. I like to put more of a rounded quarter cup.

6. Throw in all your spices, and your mayo. Combine, and taste.

7. Put into a croissant, or if you have them, those seasonal cranberry english muffins are perfection.