Curry Chicken Salad (or at least that's what I call it)

I've realized I haven't done a food post in a very, VERY long time...like I can't remember when the last one was. I decided it was high time and knew just the thing to showcase: Curry Chicken Salad. This is one of my all time favorite summer dinners. It's quick, easy, delicious, and awesome as leftovers for lunch the next day.

I got this recipe at a Pam.pered Chef party about 5 years ago. I honestly don't remember what the precise recipe was, but I've made do for this long.

Ingredients:
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Chopped Apples
Craisins (dried cranberries)
Red Onion
Peppers (if you like them...I don't use peppers because peppers don't like me)
Whatever other things you like in salad.
Ranch Dressing (store bought is fine)
Lemon Juice
5 cloves of Garlic (more or less depending on your preferences
Curry Powder
2 Chicken Breasts


*Wash and chop all of your salad ingredients and throw them in a bowl (make sure it's a big bowl, so that you can toss all the ingredients together). Put aside

*Cook your chicken: I don't add any seasoning to the chicken breast. You can cook it on the grill, oven/broiler, stove top, whatever (just not the microwave).


*While the chicken cooks take your bottle of ranch dressing and dump the ENTIRE contents (if it's a regular size bottle) into a high sided bowl (I use my pyrex measuring cup).

*Add 1 tbsp of lemon juice to dressing.

*Using a garlic press squeeze however much garlic you want into the dressing.

*Pour however much curry powder you want into the dressing (curry is a spicy-spice). The dressing should be taking on a slightly golden look with little flecks from the curry powder and clumps of the garlic...sort of like this...
~I always do this part in increments...you can always add more. I'd rather keep adding to get the flavor I want than taste it and have it be WAY too spicy.

*By now your chicken breasts should be done. I rough cut them and allow the breasts to cool, the best way to do this is put them in the fridge (especially if you need them in 10 minutes for dinner).

*Toss your chopped/shredded chicken breast with a little bit of the salad dressing (enough to give it a good coating).

*Slowly add in your salad greens and other fruits/veggies (I never used fruits in salads before this recipe, but MAN are they delicious!)

*Toss the chicken with the salad, then slowly add as much (or as little) of the dressing as you want. If you're someone who likes their salad SMOTHERED in dressing, by all means, but if you prefer to actually taste some of the salad and not JUST dressing do that.

And there, my friends, you have it: Curry Chicken Salad! Another great way to serve this is to put it in a tortilla or lettuce wrap....that's what I plan on doing for lunch tomorrow: Mange!