Napa Valley Chicken Salad

Napa Valley Chicken Salad is an incredibly versatile dish that can be served a variety of ways. There are two ways to make this recipe -- completely from scratch or semi-homemade using a bottled salad dressing.

It's best to make Napa Valley Chicken Salad the day before you intend to serve it. Doing so will allow the flavors to marry, creating a more flavorful dish. This tasty chicken salad is delicious on its own or it can be stuffed inside a pita or between two slices of hearty whole grain bread. Place a scoop on top of a fresh salad or serve with crackers or party bread. Stuff a tomato with Napa Valley Chicken Salad for a light and refreshing lunch. Once you try this delightful chicken salad recipe, I'm certain you'll find many other ways to enjoy it!

NAPA VALLEY CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE
Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
2 stalks Celery, thinly sliced or chopped
1 cup seedless Red Grapes, halved
1/2 cup Pecans, loosely chopped
3/4 cup Poppy Seed Dressing, homemade or bottled
Sea Salt, to taste
Ground Pepper, to taste

HOMEMADE POPPY SEED DRESSING

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Mayonnaise or Nayonnaise (a soy-based mayonnaise)
2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
3 teaspoons Honey
1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds
Sea Salt, to taste
Ground Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1) Prepare Poppy Seed Dressing by thoroughly mixing all dressing ingredients together. You can either place the ingredients in a blender or mix by hand using a wire whisk. Refrigerate dressing until ready to add to chicken mixture. Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing can be prepared up to two days ahead. If you plan to serve Napa Valley Chicken Salad on a bed of greens, consider doubling the dressing recipe so you will have extra to add to the salad greens.

2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse chicken breasts with cold water and pat dry. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in a glass baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Use caution when removing foil, as steam will escape and could cause burns. It's important to use this steaming method, as it provides super moist chicken and prevents the "rubbery" texture.

3) Remove chicken breasts from baking dish, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate. Chill chicken breasts for at least two hours.

4) Once chicken breasts are thoroughly chilled, dice into bite-size pieces and transfer to a medium sized mixing bowl.

5) Thinly slice celery or chop into small pieces. Cut grapes in half and chop pecans. Add to chicken. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. If using homemade Poppy Seed Dressing, pour all of the dressing on top of chicken mixture and mix well. If using bottled Poppy Seed Dressing, add 3/4-cup dressing to chicken mixture and mix well.

6) Transfer Napa Valley Chicken Salad to serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

NOTE: My personal favorite brand of Poppy Seed Dressing is Brianna's Fine Salad Dressings. This award-winning dressing can be found in most major chain grocery stores, as well as popular health food stores. To learn more about Brianna's Salad Dressings, visit their website at www.briannassaladdressing.com.